Palm Springs
Year: 2020
Rating: R
Length: 90 minutes / 1.50 hours
There’s something special about the time loop plot format. It’s been done several times in plenty of different genres. That there are even a few beloved movies like Groundhog Day (1993) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014) shows how meaningful the time loop can be when done properly. Palm Springs (2020) is the latest in this genre that follows in both footsteps of Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow by being a romantic comedy with a sci-fi explanation for the repeating timeline.
As a modern romantic comedy (perhaps one of the last modern romantic comedies), much of the humor in Palm Springs is crass and sexualized. This means that occasionally there’s a good joke or two in here, but it mostly just feels like the frustrated rambling of a horny teenager. Considering that Andy Samberg features prominently in this film, it’s no wonder why this is the case. Now, there are parts that are legitimately funny, but it’s using the same formula that made Groundhog Day funny decades ago. Don’t mess with success, I guess.
I think what really sets Palm Springs apart is its ability to include more than one individual in the time loop. Most movies that follow this structure end up having the main character continually re-explain this phenomenon to the other characters. With multiple people trapped in the time loop, it sets up a contrast of what to do to escape it. Do you merely accept your fate and dive into depression and ennui, or do you try to figure out a way to solve this problem? Do you try to change the things that are impossible to affect, or do you accept that this is your life and enjoy its little joys? This philosophical aspect is what I think sets Palm Springs apart in the time loop pantheon.
A modern rom-com time loop sci-fi with some solid philosophical concepts, I give Palm Springs 4.0 stars out of 5.
