Film of the Week: Palm Springs

Seemingly countless films have utilised the time-loop storyline, and whilst each story is different in their own way, the one thing that remains the same is the character's journey from living through whatever day is is they're going to be stuck on, and then going through the emotions when they do find themselves trapped within the time-loop. Groundhog Day is one of the most popular films featuring this form of time travel, and Palm Springs, a new film which came out last year, will soon be equally in popularity as time goes on as it reinvented the way the time-loop storyline is told.

The film does include that moment where a character discovers they're trapped within a time-loop, but unlike most other films, it doesn't open with them, but instead with someone who has been trapped within the loop for a long while already. The film flits between two perspectives, creating a refreshing take on the way these stories are told.

It's unclear how long Nyles (Andy Samberg) had been trapped in the loop before Sarah (Cristin Milioti) finds herself trapped, but his bland approach to life, understanding how things work, and not wearing appropriate wedding attire implies it has been quite a while. Having Nyles explain how the time-loop works to Sarah when she becomes trapped is a unique way of helping the audience learn how there world works. And when we're up to speed, they then begin to follow the step-by-step guide every other film follows, but instead of one person following the list, we have two people, who can bounce ideas off one another, participate in different activities, and make for a funny montage moment. Sarah follows that list: Lives through the day, stumbles upon something extraordinary which subsequently gets her trapped within a time-loop, wakes up the morning of the same day and become increasingly confused about the fact that she knows she's lived through that day before, but no one else seem to remember. Whilst flitting between perspectives, the majority of Sarah's list is seen from Nyles point of view.

Andy and Cristin's chemistry makes the entire film entertaining throughout. Their fast-paced banter keeps the film rolling without missing a beat. It slows down when it needs to, and speeds up when it needs to, and explains just enough when it needs to, creating one heck of a funny film which refreshes a formula which has been followed religiously for years.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)