Review: ‘Palm Springs’ Brings Comfort to Monotony When We Need It the Most
“Well at least you have each other. Nothing worse than going through this shit alone.”
The last time I was a guest at a wedding I found myself soaking my feet in the bathtub at two in the morning, drunk, crying, and overanalyzing a couple of toxic platonic relationships I was entangled in all because I had spent the evening basking in the purity of true love. Weddings are emotionally draining for everyone involved. Now, imagine, your girlfriend’s best friend is getting married — you don’t know the family, your relationship isn’t particularly stable, and you’re kind of just along for the ride — and then you have to live that day over again and again with no end in sight.
That’s the situation Nyles (Andy Samberg) finds himself in, and he’s grown comfortable with it. Nyles is only one of three characters stuck in this perpetual time-loop in Palm Springs, a film that originally premiered back in January at Sundance, and has become increasingly relevant in a way none of us could have expected.
It’s not lost on anyone that living in quarantine feels a bit like playing out the same day over and over again. It’s only fitting that a viral summer hit would touch on those sentiments while satisfying the audience with something new and meaningful in the process. Other entries in the time-loop canon focus on main characters being forced by the universe to better themselves, but the journey Palm Springs takes offers more of an allegory for the monotony of life while subverting other time-loop story commonalities. Nyles has been stuck in his own limbo for quite some time when the film starts, which explains his existential nihilism that at first makes him seem, as the film puts it, like a “pretentious sad boy.” The audience is given very little insight into how long he’s been stuck in the loop — enough time to exhaust every possible option he can think of to get himself unstuck but not enough time to forget that he left his dog with his neighbor for the weekend.
Meanwhile, the bride’s sister, Sarah (Cristin Milioti), finds herself in the same purgatory after hooking up with Nyles in the desert during the wedding’s reception. Once she starts waking up in the exact same place every morning in tandem with Nyles, the only person who understands what she’s experiencing, the film pivots and narrows in on the two making peace with the rest of their lives when the same events transpire day in and day out.
When Sarah gets over the initial fear and anxiety that comes with realizing you’re stuck in a time loop, she warms up to Nyles quickly. The chemistry between Samberg and Milioti is palpable as their characters find new and exciting ways to entertain themselves each day without any consequences. Just as things start getting really cozy, the two find themselves at odds.
Sarah is perpetually stuck in the past, and her mistakes have been thrown in her face so many times by her family that she leans into the “fucks around and drinks too much” brand, convinced that her past has defined her future. Nyles, stuck in limbo for so long, has adopted the mottos “Nothing matters” and “We’re all alone” to get out of any real connection with the people he watches reset every day. He’s so jaded by the life he’s living that he only puts stock into the consequences of his next action. This way of thinking has allowed Nyles to accept and make peace with his fate and live for pleasure while, admirably, trying to do as little real harm as possible to others. On the flip side, Sarah awakens every single morning being reminded of her worst mistake and spends all day staring at a potential future she never could’ve imagined for herself, ultimately giving her the drive to find any way out.
While that may sound a bit bleak, the ways in which director Max Barbakow shows characters dealing with their perfunctory existence is actually quite heartwarming. There’s a real respect for traits like compassion, selflessness, and hopefulness. Maybe you can’t practice all of them today, but maybe you can work on one tomorrow. And another the next. And if you can’t muster any of them, the least you can do is try not to negatively impact those who can. Aging into adulthood brings a freedom and independence like no other, but sometimes that comes with a loneliness that people aren’t quite prepared for. Sometimes it takes the love or companionship of another person, no matter how temporary that might be, to remind yourself why the mundanity is worth it. Sometimes it’s something as simple as watering dog shit. Whatever works for you.
Comfortable in the time-loop escapade lineup, Palm Springs provides the audience with the brilliant escapism we all need right now without sacrificing its meaning or comforting sentiment along the way. Pro-companionship in a time where it’s really easy to feel isolated and alone, the film reminds us of the importance of keeping people around that make life just a little less mundane.
