Palm Springs Movie Review
Palm Springs is the existential, time travel, romantic comedy you never knew you needed. The movie begins by introducing us to Nyles (Andy Samberg). He’s attending a wedding and stands out because instead of wearing a suit or a tux, he’s wearing a Hawaiin shirt with cargo shorts. From context clues you can determine that something isn’t quite right.
He meets a woman named Sarah (Cristin Milioti) and as they are beginning to hook up in the desert, Nyles gets shot by a bow and arrow. This is the first blatant “WTF” moment in the film. The bow and arrow situation comes completely out of nowhere and for a split second I thought, “Oh no. This is where the movie goes south.” Nyles crawls into a cave while yelling at Sarah not to follow him inside. Of course she does and this is where the movie starts to get really good.
Nyles and now Sarah are stuck in a time loop. They replay the day of the wedding over and over again. Nyles has clearly been stuck in the loop for a long time. He has accepted his fate and has come up with the mantra that nothing truly matters since everyday is the same and he can’t change it. Sarah is a newbie to the time loop so she is determined to break out of it. Hilarity ensues as she comes up with different theories on how to escape the time loop and Nyles watches listlessly, explaining that he’s already tried all of the ideas Sarah is presenting. Sarah’s determination paired with Nyles’ nihilistic nonchalance makes for an interesting foil, and one that is fun to watch.
As the two navigate this fresh hell together, they form a bond and become friends. Of course drama ensues and Sarah’s determination to escape the time loop is renewed. That’s all I’ll say for now because I don’t want to spoil this for anyone. The best part of Palm Springs is Milioti. The movie was good at the beginning when it was just Sandberg. He is funny and his man-child features lend itself well to Nyles’ personality. I liked the movie when it was just him, but I loved it when Milioti entered the picture. She is tough and takes control of the situation. It is her persistence that helps the unlikely duo to survive and avoid falling into a pit of despair. Sarah has layers and flaws that surprise you, but that also explain her deep desire to stop living the same day on repeat.
The whole being caught in a time loop thing has been done before. You might think of Before I Fall, Groundhog Day, and Edge of Tomorrow. Palm Springs puts a happier spin on the time loop idea while also exploring themes that resonate particularly well during the pandemic-from-hell situation we find ourselves in. During lockdown, every day was exactly the same. It was easy to feel like there was no point to anything and life was meaningless. The montage of Nyles doing the same thing each day and getting drunk to pass the time hit home for me (anyone else?).
Nyles’ outlook contrasted by Sarah’s outlook brings up real questions and explorations about what makes life meaningful and the need for human connection. Palm Springs was timely and gave you something to chew on more so than your typical rom com fare. Milioti and Sandberg have undeniable chemistry and their wit and comedic charm drive the movie. Although most of the movie wasn’t laugh out loud funny it was still exceptionally entertaining.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You enjoy existential crises
2. You like time travel
3. You like rom coms with a twist
