I love popcorn movies.
There are countless forgettable light comedies, zany sci-fi's and punch-up action flicks but making a good, memorable popcorn flick is an art. They are, by design, incredibly simple stories or concepts. Missing a few lines while we munch our cinema snack of choice shouldn't stop us from understanding the plot. They don't have to be upbeat, but a good popcorn movie will leave you satisfied.
Palm Springs takes many of its cues from arguably one of the best popcorn flicks of all time, Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day, while dated in some areas, has everything a good popcorn movie should have. Good characters, a lot of laughs, enough peril to keep the audience engrossed and a killer concept, all elements that Palm Springs has inherited with a new lease of life.
1. Plot
Sarah is drunk at her perfect sister's wedding. Caught in a spiral of self-hatred she catches the eye of Nyles, one of the wedding guests with no relation to the happy couple just escorting his girlfriend. The two have a drunken affair until they are interrupted by a man with a bow and arrow who seems to have a grudge against Nyles. After Nyles is injured he crawls into a cave, begging Sarah not to follow. Angry and confused she does anyway and wakes up, right where she started at the beginning of the day. Sarah has entered a time loop and it turns out Nyles has been re-living this day for quite some time.
Nyles shows her the ropes of the time loop. While originally Sarah wants to escape, the laid back attitude of Nyles intrigues her. They develop a romance over the day that will never end but can they ignore tomorrow forever?
2. Teaching an Old Groundhog New Tricks
The time-loop concept is almost a genre of its own at this point. From the dark suspense of Russian Doll to the romance of About Time we've seen the concept re-branded over and over and usually they hit similar beats. From the very beginning, Palm Springs offers a fresh take with Nyles already in the time loop with the audience unaware apart from some unusual clues. The first time you clock on is when Nyles, who has no relation to the bride and groom, takes the mic and delivers a beautiful, well-rehearsed speech about love. Our next clue is a brilliantly funny sequence where Nyles weaves around and dances with the other guests in perfect sync with their movements.
Palm Springs has a lot of fun with the time-loop concept. One of the most enjoyable parts for me was Andy Samberg's cool-dude performance as Nyles who after months, maybe years in the time loop has just resigned to his new reality. Instead of the two characters desperately trying to escape it was funny to see them enjoying the safety of a day that never ends, devoid of responsibilities and consequences. Samberg as ever, is hilarious and charismatic and a perfect foil to Cristin Milioti's Sarah who you might remember from How I Met Your Mother.
I don't want to give too much away but J.K Simmons is another reason to give this flick a watch. He made me laugh out-loud multiple times. Again, trying to avoid spoilers but the ending of the film is very clever and a solution I hadn't seen used before in other time-loop films.
3. Conclusion
Palm Springs is a thoroughly entertaining popcorn movie. It's not too deep but keeps a darkly comedic edge. I laughed out-loud multiple times and enjoyed the absurdist sci-fi references littered throughout. The characters are both funny and engaging with great chemistry and comedic timing. I was especially pleased to see Cristin Milioti in this kind of film since I've always thought she's leading woman material, despite being relegated to the background in a lot of her work.
To conclude Palm Springs is a good time best enjoyed with pizza and a cider.
8/10