Palm Springs (2020)
3.8 of 5 from 95 ratings
1h 30min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- 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.
- Actors:
- Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher, Meredith Hagner, Camila Mendes, Tyler Hoechlin, Chris Pang, Jacqueline Obradors, June Squibb, Tongayi Chirisa, Dale Dickey, Conner O'Malley, Jena Friedman, Brian Duffy, Martin Kildare, Lilli Birdsell, Ryan Sturtz, Clifford V. Johnson, Calki Garcia
- Directors:
- Max Barbakow
- Writers:
- Andy Siara
- Genres:
- Comedy, Romance
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Reviews (2) of Palm Springs
Entertaining Screwball RomCom - Palm Springs review by GI
A goofy screwball romantic comedy that has a time loop plot such as Groundhog Day (1993), Happy Death Day (2017) and Edge Of Tomorrow (2014), indeed it assumes you are familiar with the mechanics of those films and thus avoids over-explaining. The story centres around a wedding and bored maid of honour and sister of the bride, Sarah (Cristin Milioti) is rescued from an ill prepared speech by Nyles (Andy Samberg), a guest who seems to have a very care free attitude dressed in shorts and Hawaiian shirt. They hook up and basically Sarah follows Nyles into a cave despite him urging her not to and she discovers, much to her surprise and annoyance, that she becomes trapped in a time loop having to relive the same day over and over. Nyles reveals he's been similarly trapped for a considerable time. Spending their days together they fall in love, have loads of fun but eventually Sarah wants it to end and desperately looks for a way out. There's plenty of laughs and the two leads have a charm especially together and assisted by J.K. Simmons as the strange Roy, who is also trapped in the loop. Unfortunately the film drifts towards the end and it all feels a little disappointing but overall this is a pleasant enough romcom that uses a well worn device for it's story.
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Rom-com with a dash of philosophy - Palm Springs review by PD
This one's a romantic comedy with a dash of philosophy, its “Groundhog Day”-esque premise casting Andy Samberg as Nyles, a guy repeating the same day over and over, although the show is rather stolen by Cristin Miloti as Sarah, who provides much of the maturity and philosophy on offer. It's an enjoyable enough watch with some good moments, but even with the clever tweaks introduced by its sci-fi-flavoured premise – referencing “infinite time-loop situations,” – the film turns out to be a fun but ultimately rather thin construct. Granted, there’s nothing completely original, and there have been plenty of variations on this formula, but even making those allowances, this feels derivative almost to the point of distraction. The scenario unfolds against the backdrop of a destination wedding in the titular California locale, just the place someone might stumble upon a mysterious cave that leaves the hero in this strange predicament. Nyles isn’t completely alone in that, though as with all time-bending concepts, the less one knows going in – or dwells on the logistics – probably the better. As the sister of the bride, Sarah exhibits a sense of sadness, which will gradually be explained, whilst this being a romantic comedy, the question of two unlikely people being given the time to bond inevitably figures into the plot. Ultimately the film finally falls a little too much under the heading of 'been there, seen that', but the central theme of the possibility of personal growth for certain types of young men in a kind of emotional stasis is a worthy one nevertheless.
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Critic review
Palm Springs review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso
How easy it would be to merely write off Palm Springs as another retread of the Groundhog Day format. The elevator pitch of such a picture is presented as such, staging an endless day on a wedding from the perspective of outsiders. And, sure, the film does meander a bit in trying to divulge the mechanics of the situation, likening to Happy Death Day with its tongue-in-cheek approach. But for being just that, it’s still surprising how much poignancy is found within such a concept.
Sarah Wilder (Cristin Milioti) is not looking forward to a wedding taking place at a desert resort. Not much is revealed outside of her just not wanting to be there for her sister on her happy day. The party seems so unengaging until she runs across Nyles (Andy Samberg), the most easygoing of those attending the party. Seeming to not have a care in the world, he goes heavy on drinks and makes a flawless wedding speech in place of an embarrassed Sarah. They hit it off well and soon ditch the party to explore the mountains of the region. But when Nyles finds himself attacked, he unwittingly drags Sarah into his curse. For some strange reason, anymore who is sucked into a mysterious cave is doomed to relive the same day over and over. Groundhog Day logic applies, where no death or travel can prevent repeating the day.
Nyles reveals that he has been stuck with this same curse for quite a while, better explaining the details so Sarah can be our audience surrogate. There are some playful elements to this concept, especially when it’s revealed that J.K. Simmons plays a family man also roped into the cave, maddened by the experience that he takes to hunting Nyles for sport. Naturally, the film gets a bit dark in how the characters explore just how much they can get away with and how many ways they can kill themselves. There are also some sexual thrills as Nyles divulges just how many people he has slept with at the wedding, spanning genders and kinks. A mystery element is present not so much of the curse but more of just why Sarah feels so guilty about attending the wedding, giving Nyles more to do than just meandering around the event.
Palm Springs is a film that thankfully takes its time to eventually wind its way around to appreciating life and finding a way out of the endless loop. Aspects that start off rather mindless as with Simmons playing the rival killer soon transform into more meaningful reflections. The characters have surprising if still inexplicable arts to realizing that, even when provided with endless chances to relive the same experience, life shouldn’t just be played for darker desires when god mode is enabled. The pains and joys of finding out how predictable life can take the mystery out of uncertainty but also forces one to make choices about which route they will proceed when every avenue is visible. Sure, you can kill yourself numerous times but eventually, it’ll get boring. The same goes for playing with the emotions of others, making the emptiness set in after a while.
Of course, the comparisons will be avoidable for many, especially since Happy Death Day 2U gets wrapped in with the warped sci-fi logic in trying to solve the mystery, making the adventure more mechanical than it probably could’ve been. Ultimately, the film is about two people trying to come to terms with themselves and maybe find happiness, seeming a tad easier to attain without unlimited tries. Would it really be so detrimental for love to be the closer of the loop?
At the end of the day though, Palm Springs ultimately boils down to how funny it can be for holding a premise and how much believable chemistry can about from it. And the film manages to surprise and charm in its own unique ways here and there, taking it as easy as Nyles in trying to appreciate the spectacle of it all, occasionally spinning off the rails into darker humor or sexual surprises. There’s enough here to be more than just Groundhog Day: Wacky Wedding.