What’s it rated? R
When? 2024
Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime
Writer-director Megan Park (The Fallout) helms this irreverent coming-of-age story about avowed lesbian Elliott (Maisy Stella), who’s on the cusp of her 18th birthday and about to leave her family’s cranberry farm to head to college in Toronto.
She and her two besties, Ro (Kerrice Brooks) and Ruthie (Maddie Ziegler), take her boat across the local lake where they plan to celebrate her birthday by eating psilocybin mushrooms. At first Elliott thinks the shrooms aren’t working, but suddenly a woman appears, explaining that she’s her counterpart, 39-year-old Elliott (Aubrey Plaza), who begins giving her advice like spending more time with her family before she leaves and, most importantly, don’t date anyone named “Chad.” Naturally, she almost immediately meets a boy named Chad (Percy Hynes White), who’s been hired for the summer to work her family’s farm.
If you’re thinking this is an Aubrey Plaza movie, it’s not. Yes, she’s an integral part of the story and a wisecracking joy to behold, but young Elliott is the focus. Slowly but surely, the avowed lesbian begins to warm to Chad, calling into question her sexual orientation. We really get to know Elliott and Chad, and their blossoming love is charming as heck. (89 min.) Δ
This article appears in Nov 28 – Dec 8, 2024.