Getting tired of being stuck in the house every day? Check out Palm Springs, Hulu's new original movie! Okay, I know, it's definitely not as exciting as a real Palm Springs trip, but I guarantee that it will be the perfect rom-com for you to watch with the girls this weekend. I promise it's not cheesy, here's the scoop!
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Palm Springs takes a new spin on the classic Groundhog Day scenario, where the main characters inexplicably live the same day over and over again. When reluctant maid-of-honor Sarah follows easy-going Nyles into a mysterious cave at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated. Sarah finds herself in an endless loop, reliving the wedding day every time she wakes up. The catch? Nyles has been reliving this day since before he can remember, and the two are stuck in the loop together.
"Weddings, love, family, exes, heartbreak, a whole lot of pain and suffering, a fair amount of joy, babies, beers, burritos, death, war, violence, and finally- sex, drugs, and a big rock with a hole in it. Most of life can be boiled down to these words. So can Palm Springs."
-The Filmmakers, "Palm Springs" Production Notes
Thoughts
This movie surprised me! I tend to be wary whenever I see that Hulu or Netflix have released a new comedy, but this one was actually funny! I wouldn't say that it's laugh-out-loud, gut-busting, rolling-on-the-floor hilarious, but it does have some laughable moments.
When I saw that Palm Springs was another iteration of the Groundhog Day dilemma, I was not excited. How many times have we seen this done? Titles like Happy Death Day, 50 First Dates and When We First Met all immediately come to mind. Seriously, how many more of these movies are we going to make? That being said, this movie is actually really enjoyable because it plays with the idea of the continuous time loop in a creative way. I mean, Nyles literally doesn't remember life before the time loop, and we never really get answers. Moreover, Nyles and Sarah aren't the only ones experiencing the warp in time! I won't get into that one, you'll have to check that out for yourself.
Additionally, the way the plot plays out could not be more perfect. The film is full of "aha!" moments, inspiring questions from viewers that are only answered at the most powerful junctures. In this way, Palm Springs is able to capture and hold your attention all the way through.
Another great thing about Palm Springs is that the romantic relationship isn't cringey. I don't consider myself a huge fan of rom-coms solely due to the cringe factor characteristic of many movies of the genre; this film doesn't have it! I was truly invested in Sarah and Nyles' relationship because it felt so real. They're perfect for each other and they have a ton of super cute moments, just minus the cheese.
Cast & Crew
Wait... have I mentioned that this movie stars Andy Samberg? He produced it too! Samberg has consistently delivered us national treasures like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, "The Lonely Island" and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, and we can see his characteristic comedic flare in Palm Springs as well. His love interest is played by Cristin Milioti, who, to be honest, is the real star of the film. I immediately recognized her from my absolute favorite episode of Black Mirror (USS Callister; Season 4, Epsiode 1). She's a brilliant actress and made Sarah a really likable character (because, honestly, Sarah could've been the villain of this movie). I hope to see her in more leading roles in the future.
Other names that might sound familiar are Camila Mendes and Tyler Hoechlin, who play the bride and groom respectively. Though their roles are smaller, they add just as much authenticity to the story as the main duo.
Rating & Premiere
Palm Springs is rated R and can be streamed with a Hulu subscription. It just premiered on July 10th, so make sure to put it on your weekend movie-binge list like I did!
Also, get the scoop on some of our other reviews!
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