Review of Palm Springs (2020) by Sierra-117 — 18 Jul 2020

Palm Springs review:

Max Barbakow’s new Groundhog Day inspired Rom-com is a fresh new take on the pre established formula. Cristin Milioti’s Sarah falls victim to an infinite time loop on the day of her sister’s wedding. The unique twist to the genre is that in this case she is also trapped with Andy Samberg’s Nyles, who has been stuck in there so long that he doesn’t remember much of his life beforehand, and together they try to find meaning in a reality where their actions are meaningless. The movie definitely has some quality moments of comedy, but underneath all the laughs it is a poignant reflection on life and depression. Whilst a huge part of this movie is obviously derivative of Groundhog Day, like other movies of the genre (for example Edge of tomorrow), it does enough it terms of originality and sheer enjoyment to stand on its own. If I delved into all the individual aspects that made this feel unique I’d have to spoil the entire movie. Both Samberg and Milioti are phenomenal, and paired with some really sharp dialogue they are a both convincing and hilarious duo. Of course there are also moments of sincerity, and both actors pull them off perfectly. In Samberg’s performance especially he shows many hints of sadness and misery, whether it be subtle or at other points straight up breaking up into tears. I’d say my one issue with the film is that at times the there is a bit too much exposition, and some of the supporting cast feels a little bit lifeless, but as the focus is almost exclusive to the two protagonists it doesn’t really matter all that much. Ultimately Palm Springs is an enjoyable ride from start to finish with some excellent humor and a unique take on Groundhog Day’s ideas, and although it borrows greatly from the 1993 classic, It does enough to separate itself from the other movies of the genre.