The Reel Review
Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti (Modern Love, How I Met Your Mother) star in this Groundhog Day-inspired rom-com fantasy on Hulu about Nyles and Sarah, two strangers stuck reliving a daily time loop centered around a wedding day ceremony in Palm Springs, California.
Despite a premise that has been done before (and better), Palm Springs does have some breezily fun moments and some clever, unexpected twists as Samberg’s Nyles concocts a laundry list of different ways to play out each otherwise monotonous day. Some of them are truly hysterical and Samberg’s onscreen chemistry with Milioti is a delight. Andy Siara’s screenplay also does an interesting job of poking fun at the meaningless of life while working in messages about the importance of selflessness and sacrifice to escape the situational malaise.
But after about an hour, the up-until-then refreshing film itself starts to veer off into a monotonous path that never quite corrects itself, capped off with an ambiguous ending that will either delight or frustrate you, depending on your own personal views about life in general.
REEL FACTS
• Despite its title, Palm Springs was filmed over 21 days in Palmdale and Santa Clarita, California.
• JK Simmons has appeared with Andy Samberg in 2009’s I Love You, Man and the comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
• At $17,500,000.69, Palm Springs holds the record purchase price for a film at the Sundance Film Festival – by 69 cents.
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