Palm Springs, in the words of Andy Samberg’s character, Nyles, is “one of those infinite time loop situations you might’ve heard about”. Which serves as the baseline for a hugely enjoyable, feel-good romantic comedy that incorporates a compelling science fiction element and a nice bit of existential dread to stop things getting too sentimental.
Nyles and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) meet at a wedding in Palm Springs. After an eventful reception, Sarah follows Nyles into a cave in the desert where she steps into a glowing red light, only to awake once again, on the morning of the ceremony. It becomes clear that an earthquake opened up a fissure in space/time, and in entering the cave the pair became caught in time loop, doomed to repeat the day of the wedding forever.
It transpires that Nyles has been trapped in this infinite loop for longer than he can remember, resigned to the fact he will never experience linear time again. It also comes to light that Sarah is not the first person to have accidentally joined Nyles in this temporal purgatory. Another wedding guest, Roy (JK Simmons), also entered the cave rift and is pretty furious about it. He is determined to make Nyles pay, infinitely, for ruining his life.
As Nyles and Sarah explore the all the potential paths and limitations of circular time, they begin to have fun and enjoy each other’s company, all while trying to find a way back to their own reality.
Released in 2020 as the pandemic was in full swing, Palm Springs’ modest, temporal adventure could not have landed at a more appropriate time. Repeating the same day again and again suddenly became relatable. But it’s Palm Springs’ good heart that really makes it resonate. Despite the wry, sarcastic vein of humour that runs through it and its deviations into existential despair, Palm Springs’ goal is to lift your spirits. There is a perverted optimism to its idea that life is pointless, but less pointless in the company of someone else.
It would be remiss not to mention Harold Ramis’ iconic time loop comedy, Groundhog Day, which transcended its status as a movie to establish an entire subgenre unto itself. But although Palm Springs is certainly a part of that subgenre and shares common DNA with the Bill Murray classic, Groundhog Day does not cast a long shadow over it. Palm Springs has more than enough questions and original ideas bouncing around to make it equally satisfying.
Nyles and Sarah’s initial approach to being caught in the time loop is what might best be described as joyfully nihilistic. Nyles is long resigned to the fact escape is impossible and, by the time Sarah joins him, “nothing matters” is virtually his mantra. The only wisdom he can share is that she needs to “learn how to suffer existence”. To that end, Nyles spends his time day drinking and living “with as little effort as possible”. But Sarah, too, was unhappy with her life and shares Nyles’ outlook, believing everyone is alone and that people marry simply out of fear of loneliness.
Now, that might all sound a bit bleak and, I guess, ideologically that might be accurate. But Palm Springs has a light touch and, as Nyles is quick to inform us, “being a source of terror is not fun” so things never get dark enough to drain the story’s energy or pour cold water on Samberg and Milioti’s spark.
It helps that both Palm Springs’ leads are very appealing and share a great chemistry. Sure they’re both cynical, but they’re utterly charming with it. They ponder philosophical reasons for their predicament, as well as the scientific, but at the end of the day it’s simply great fun to watch them explore their corner of space/time together and slowly grow closer. Simmons is also on top form as the angry and vengeful Roy – equal parts Charles Bronson and friendly neighbour.
It feels conceptually appropriate to have rewatched Palm Springs quite a few times and it displays no law of diminishing returns. It is as absolutely joyful the second time, the third time and so on, as it is the first. Which means Palm Springs has quickly become a member of that most treasured of genres – the comfort movie. Palm Springs is one of those rare films that never gets old, whose repetition only makes it more endearing, so it can be relied upon whenever we need a pick-me-up.
