One of my favorite comedies is the Bill Murry classic Groundhog Day from 1993. It was about a man who finds himself mysteriously repeating the same day over and over again. After realizing that he seems stuck in this loop indefinitely, he decides to take full advantage of it and lives his life to the fullest with no regard for the consequences. Over time, having exhausted every possible crazy thing one could do in this situation, he realizes that he now has the chance to do something productive with his newly found extra time. And, in doing so, he discovers what is truly important both in life and to himself.
Some other films have utilized this time loop story device to varying degrees of success. The movie 12:01 tried to play it more like a serious drama and failed, while Happy Death Day (which I have not seen yet) attempted to use it for the horror genre. Of all the films I have seen so far trying to utilize the time loop story idea, none of them have ever really lived up to the quality found in Groundhog Day. Until today's movie, Palm Springs. Which, somewhat surprisingly, might be an early contender for my best film of 2020.
The story follows an introverted young woman named Sarah (Cristin Milioti), getting ready to drink her way through being her sisters Maid of Honor. That is until she hits it off with a pretty cool (if overly confident) guy named Nyles (Andy Samberg). After the ceremony, and one too many drinks, they sneak away from the party to get it on. Only to be rudely interrupted by some psychopath out to kill Nyles. After evading the killer, Sarah finds Nyles crawling towards a strange orange light emanating from a cave. Despite Nyles's protests not to follow him, Sarah moves closer, only to mysteriously wake up back in her room, which would not be so bad, if it wasn't the beginning of the same day. It turns out that Sarah got herself trapped in a time loop repeating the same day over and over. While it's a new experience for Sarah, Nyles has been stuck in the time loop for quite a while. With no idea how to escape, the two of them hit it off and begin enjoying their new "freedom" as much as humanly possible. That is until reality rains over them, causing the two of them to confront each other and their fears.
This movie is a witty, smart, insightful, and entertaining as all powerhouse. It takes full advantage of the time loop concept and has a ball. It's one of those comedies that succeeds in balancing between being silly and observant. The kind of movie that reminds us while playing around is healthy, we all need to take a step back occasionally and ask ourselves, "Do I like who I am?". I admit, it is a pretty deep existential thing to ask, but it is the kind of story that would call for such an exploration. And the movie delivers a satisfactory take on that very question in spades.
The cast is remarkable. Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg have lovely chemistry and possess the right amount of emotional range required by the story. It's also clear just how much a fantastic time they are having making the movie. Because they're having fun, we, the audience, are having fun. It's a delightful win-win.
Palm Springs is a delightful shock of a movie. It takes a classic storytelling device and succeeds in presenting a fresh take on it. If you have a Hulu account or know someone who does, do not miss this film.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
Watching it tomorrow!
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