Palm Springs
Image Credit: Hulu
Simon Dillon,
4th May 2021
Tags:
Life
Review
Comedy
Fantasy
Mystery
Comedy classic 'Groundhog Day' has already inspired many thematic variants and was even preceded by other films with the same premise, such as 12:01.
'Palm Springs', from director Max Barbakow, is a particularly inventive, funny, and satisfying remix. It follows a similar romantic comedy template but also subverts and satirises many of the beloved elements that made 'Groundhog Day' such a hit, with a sharp, blackly comic edge. It’s also a timely release, considering the pandemic makes us all feel as though we’re trapped in time glitches.
The film introduces protagonist Nyles (Andy Samberg); a man already stuck in a perpetual time loop. After an impotent sexual encounter with his girlfriend Misty (Meredith Hagner) which serves as a metaphor for his predicament, it becomes apparent said time loop involves Nyles being at a wedding where Misty is maid-of-honour.
He forms an unlikely connection with the bride’s unhappy sister Sarah.
During the wedding reception, he forms an unlikely connection with the bride’s unhappy sister Sarah (Cristin Milioti). They decide to leave the party together, but a strange encounter with an angry and vengeful older man called Mike (JK Simmons), who shoots arrows at Nyles, leads to a situation where Sarah ends up stuck in the same time loop.
She and Nyles are forced to relive the same day over and over again, but only they are aware of it, along with Mike, who turns up to torture or kill Nyles from time to time. At this point the film niftily sends up the virtuous message of 'Groundhog Day', as Sarah tries to think of the most altruistic thing she could do, to break free of the loop. That doesn’t work, so instead, she and Nyles decide life is meaningless, and bond together with many amusing shenanigans.
Sarah is determined they won’t get romantically involved.
At first, Sarah is determined they won’t get romantically involved, and she and Nyles ignore the skeletons in their respective closets. Both have secrets, but neither admits them to the other since they both insist it doesn’t matter.
Of course, love and actual feelings complicate their nihilistic fun, and other fascinating, surprisingly deep questions pop up to spice up the existential crisis narrative. For instance, the question of being institutionalised in the time loop prison, not wanting to return to a world where life has consequences. All of this is deftly handled by screenwriter Andy Siara, and the winning leads give the film the required chemistry to let the romance soar, even though it is far raunchier and swearier than the PG-rated 'Groundhog Day'.
The romance is leavened by some big laughs.
Said romance is leavened by some big laughs, razor-sharp satire, and a quirky sensibility just the right side of offbeat. It’s also worth mentioning a few of the other supporting performers, including Peter Gallagher, and Tyler Hoetchlin (perhaps best known as Clark Kent/Superman in the recent Supergirl TV series).
As with many films released directly to streaming at present, I wish I could have seen this in the cinema. Nonetheless, Palm Springs is a hugely enjoyable, involving, romantic, amusing, strangely apt piece of work. Also, “Would you kill me one more time? Just to beat the traffic.”: Surely, the one-liner of the year.
