Palm Springs: Some Good Old-Fashioned Time Loop Fun
Palm Springs, a Hulu Original film, marks the debut of director Max Barbakow and screenwriter Andy Siara, who both prove they’ve got some strong chops and a clear vision. The film made a big splash when it premiered at Sundance in January, but has garnered even more acclaim since its release due to its brisk pace, comedic antics, and delightful riffs on the Groundhog Day formula.
When carefree Nyles (Andy Samberg) and reluctant maid of honor Sarah (Cristin Milioti) have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated when they find themselves unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.
When Groundhog Day released in 1993, it introduced audiences to a new storytelling convention: the time loop. This plot device blew audiences away, and it helped the film reach wide appeal by giving it a universal point of view. Due to the film’s ingenuity and mainstream success, it was only a matter of time before other films made use of the endless-loop narrative. However, in order for a time-loop film to not feel like a total Groundhog Day rip-off, it needs to bring something new to the table. Edge of Tomorrow game it a high-octane sci-fi action treatment (and gave audiences the privilege of watching Tom Cruise die many, many times); Happy Death Day merged it with the slasher; 50 First Dates replaced the metaphysics with amnesia and gave it a Rom-Com bend. Now, Palm Springs is here to put its own twist on the now familiar formula.
At its core, Palm Springs is a fairly typical romantic comedy, but the way Siara and Barbakow marry the Rom-Com formula with the Groundhog Day time loop really helps to give it some oomph. In particular, their minor tweak of have more than one person trapped in the loop elevates it beyond the point of mere Groundhog Day rip-off. The film’s sci-fi leanings allow it to breathe, giving it the opportunity to safety experiment without feeling locked into any one direction. In addition to being extremely relatable courtesy of the global pandemic, the endlessly looping cycle of reliving the same day leads to some delightfully absurd antics and laugh-out-loud gags, which further adds to the film’s appeal.
It falls into the occasional genre trap, but it doesn’t stay hung up for long. Siara’s focus on emotional truth throughout the script gives it a tether that allows the most ridiculous moments a means to snap back. The heart of the film revolves around love and taking the plunge in the name of love, finding someone you care about in a world full of white noise that you can venture into the unknown with. With this approach, Siara is able to wax cynical and optimistic about both life and love, which allows some poignant and touching moments of lucid wisdom to shine through the film’s inherent absurdity.
The chemistry between Andy Samberg (Niles) and Christin Milioti (Sarah) is the beating heart of the film, and everything lives or dies on their relationship and connection. Both of them shine bright here and give the film a sense of infectious energy. The nihilistic nature of Samberg’s Niles (whose name is probably no coincidence) makes him a perfect foil to Milioti’s Sarah, giving way to some really funny beats and gags. J.K. Simons also provides some excellent support as Roy, the enraged man who Niles has also trapped into the time loop. Simons’ Roy feels like a funny, subversive play on the usual love triangle aspect to screwball comedy, and he also delivers one of the best monologues in the film about the duality of the time loop scenario; he gets to be with his family, the people he loves, everyday of his life, but he never gets to watch them grow up. It’s this mix of good and bad that give Palm Springs a rounded feel.
The manner in which Niles and Sarah escape the time loop is a bit a nutty — then again so is most of this film — but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. Barbakow and Siara smartly leave the ending up for audience interpretation, leaving it a mystery as to if the loop can truly be escaped. Regardless of if Niles and Sarah broke the loop or not, the point is that they’re together. Whether they stay together or not, they took a scary plunge, and they met in the middle. Isn’t that what love is?
Recommendation: Definitely give Palm Springs a watch! It’s a fun film with more to say than your average, run-of-the-mill Rom-Com.
Rating: 4 leisurely floats outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!