OnScreen Review: 'Palm Springs'
Ryan Cannister, Contributing Critic
While it’s perhaps a bit too early for a film to claim the title “Comedy of the Summer”, Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti is making a very compelling case. The film released on July 10th and is now available for streaming on Hulu.
Quantum physics has never been this entertaining! The humor, concept, and performances all make for a fantastic summer quarantine streaming experience. What a mouth full.
Palm Springs uses the established familiarity of Time Loop films to its advantage. The creative team knows we’ve most likely seen Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, Source Code, or another film in the increasingly popular genre. So we are able to get into the action fairly quickly and don’t need a half-hour of exposition right off the bat on how Andy Samberg ended up in this situation. We almost immediately understand what’s going on just from creative visual and physical cues. No time is wasted, in a good way! I will always appreciate a film that can get across everything it wants to say, in order to make you feel something impactful in only 90 minutes.
I found the exploration of two people in a budding romantic relationship stuck in a time loop to be incredibly unique and charming. This exploration is only enhanced by the effortless performances from Samberg and Milioti. The two play off of each other incredibly well and have such a wide comedic range.
From dry witty jokes to outlandish physical comedy, the execution and timing are always right on the money. The dramatic moments between the two land as well. Nothing ever feels cheesy, forced, or unearned. It’s easy to enjoy everything these two bring to the screen, as their energy is electric.
Major props to Simmons, Mendes, and the rest of the cast as well, for their hilarious performances. This truly is an ensemble film, as you need a variety of compelling and unique characters to sell the idea that this is the same exact day happening over and over again. There are too many great one-liners from the ensemble to count.
The film strikes a perfect middle ground with its concept and execution. It’s not oversimplified or overcomplicated. It’s clear and accessible for the audience to follow, while still being a bit out there. You never feel that the story is going over your head. I also appreciate the deeper, more meaningful thematic elements explored that you don’t always get in a typical rom-com. We see several conversations about life’s meaning, morality, pain, and co-dependency. All of which are all handled very thoughtfully.
Overall Palm Springs is a fantastic summer comedy that goes deeper than you might expect. It’s probably my second favorite film of the year behind Da 5 Bloods, not that there are many new films out there right now. If you haven’t seen it yet, I would highly recommend watching Palm Springs. Then watch it again and again and again and again and again-
4.5/5 Stars