Palm Springs Review: Is the HULU Comedy Worth Watching?

Palm Springs became the highest seller at the Sundance film festival, with HULU dropping $17.5 million to acquire streaming rights. The Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti starrer is the comedy of the summer. A time-loop that traps the duo at a wedding party in Palm Springs gives you plenty to laugh at and reflects on their nihilistic nature and existential plight.

1. Quick Review

Palm Springs is a funny rom-com that explores some heavier themes due to its darker underlying tones. Samberg and Milioti complement each other’s performances, and their performances show you two sides of human nature.

Palm Springs - Trailer (Official) | Hulu

Filled with bright and beautiful colors and shot in a bustling resort, this movie is the perfect watch for this summer. It doesn’t heap on the science and shoves you into the exotic yet sad life of Palm Springs.

2. Info & Watch Links

3. Is It Worth Watching

There have been some successful entries in the time loop genre like Russian Doll on Netflix and Happy Death Day. Palm Springs dips into that genre and gives a Groundhog Day-style premise, a modern twist. Filled with fun, sex, and drugs, the film also carries a dreadful feeling of escaping from this reality.

I. Plot

The film opens with a wedding at a Palm Springs resort. Nyles and his girlfriend Misty are attending the marriage of their friends Tate and Abe, where he meets Sarah, the black sheep of the family. Sarah is a drunkard and is unable to make her maid of honor speech as she is intoxicated.

Nyles saves the day by whipping up a beautiful speech on the spot, and soon he and Sarah start getting closer. When Nyles tells her that Misty is cheating on him, the two sneak off to hookup, but something unexpected happens.

A crazy man shows up with a bow and arrow and shoots Nyles, who crawls into a nearby cave, wounded and in pain. He warns Sarah not to follow him inside, but she does. She discovers an orange glowing light inside, and the next thing you know, she is stuck in a time-loop with Nyles.

It is at this point that Palm Springs adds its genius, showing us that Nyles has already been stuck in the loop for a long time. He has grown cynical and resentful, and he watches in amusement as Sarah comes to terms with her new reality.

He tells her that he has tried to commit suicide and tried everything to break the loop. Both of them are now stuck together, reliving the wedding day over and over again.

II. Cast & Characters

Andy Samberg of Brooklyn Nine-Nine fame stars as Nyles, a cynical and depressed man who has been stuck in the time loop for a long time. He realizes that his actions have no consequences, and has given up all hope of escape.

Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother) is the maid of honor who is always drunk. Sarah carries with her a spark to escape from her predicament and is the opposite of Nyles.

She is witty and filled with purpose, and while she was the hapless drunk on the outside, she is determined that her life won’t end in an everlasting loop.

J.K Simmons shines as Roy, a man who got stuck in the loop after a drug-filled extravaganza with Nyles. He shows up to torment Nyles and hunts him for sport, blaming him for being held in the cycle.

4. Detailed Review

While Palm Springs has a setting quite similar to Groundhog Day, the characters give a modern take to the movie. Samberg’s Nyles is weary and spent, realizing that nothing he does matters anymore. Even then, he is not prepared to overkill, as he says that even if their deaths don’t matter, the pain is real.

While damaged and lost in the beginning, Sarah finds a new purpose when she gets stuck with Nyles. Both characters maintain a façade in the beginning, pretending to not care about their situation and resigning themselves to a life in the loop. But, in the second half, their desire to escape overwhelms all other emotions.

The movie presents an interesting angle as it showcases the same day from different aspects. A bemused Nyles watches Sarah, try everything he has tried before giving up. There is a feeling of depression in the air, and the duo has adventures some days while just lying around on others.

The HULU movie explores both sides of the time loop paradox and shows that the desire to break free is always stronger. Nyles realizes that the only person who has made his life better is Sarah but still struggles to let go and escape from the loop.

5.Grade

6. Final Thoughts

Palm Springs is a refreshing entry in a genre that has given us many entertaining pieces. It’s fun and a good comedy being released at a great time.

The cast does a great job, and it manages to skip the scientific mumbo-jumbo, instead of focusing on the layered narrative and ensuring that the jokes land.