By Angelique Jackson

As summer slowly fades away, director Megan Park stokes the flames of nostalgia with her sophomore feature, “My Old Ass,” a coming-of-age tale set in those sweet final weeks before its 18-year-old protagonist leaves her lakeside hometown for college in the big city. Maisy Stella (“Nashville,” “Flowervale Street”) plays Elliott, a free-spirited teen whose birthday mushroom trip brings her face to face with her “old ass” 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza), who offers some sound advice and words of caution that transform her relationships with her family and friends.

“There’s such a sadness, but also a sweetness in that change and the passage of time,” Park tells Variety, recalling the transitional period between childhood and adulthood, when you know life is about to change but you can’t quite put your finger on how.

“Sweet” is a word Park uses liberally (and lovingly) when talking about her work. In fact, the writer-director has made it somewhat of a mission to make sincere and “sweet” films, even if some in an industry that tends to prioritize edginess think that’s not exactly “cool.”