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Do the same old rom-com movies bore you to death? Then check out Palm Springs, the romantic comedy with a sci-fi twist. Written by Andy Siara, it is the directorial debut of Max Barbakow. The movie first premiered in the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020. And on July 10, Hulu released it digitally.
The film stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as the lead characters, Nyles and Sarah. Plus, J.K Simmons (Roy), Peter Gallagher (Howard) feature as the supporting actors, among others.
Palm Springs: Plot summary
The film uses the common time-loop trope to narrate its story. It begins with Nyles, who came to attend his friend’s wedding. But, soon he realises that he’s living the same day over and over again. Later, Sarah, the bride’s sister, also gets trapped in the loop. And from then on, Nyles and Sarah work together to break out of it. Despite their repeated attempts, they don’t succeed. However, due to the time spent together, they bond with each other and fall in love.
In the meantime, Sarah studies quantum physics to have an idea about how to end the loop. And eventually, she figures out a way. Plus, to test her theory, Sarah conducts an experiment which proves to be successful. Turns out, that to return to the linear flow of time, she has to bomb up the cave that is the source of the time-loop. She approaches Nyle with her new plan. But, he refuses, preferring the predictable reality to the unpredictable future. Disappointed by his decision, Sarah alone visits the cave. However, soon, Nyle joins her. And together, they detonate the cave. Thus, seemingly ending the repeating day.
Palm Springs: Ending
The film ends on a sweet note. However, the conclusion itself is open to interpretation. Near the movie’s climax, Sarah experimented her theory with a goat. But, unlike Sarah and Nyle, who breaks the loop, the goat vanishes. And that caused viewers to question the duo’s fate. Some assume that they have died and were in the afterlife. In comparison, others suggest that the blast wiped out their memories. Moreover, the explanation makes sense considering the after-credits scene where Nyle doesn’t seem to remember Roy.
There are also plenty of other theories regarding the ending. And one of them concerns the existence of parallel realities. Many believe that since Sarah based her solution on String Theory, different dimensions must exist in the movie universe. If that is so, there are possibilities that Nyle and Sarah didn’t return to their timeline. Instead, they moved to another dimension. The last shot of Palm Springs showed dinosaurs, which corroborates with the theory.
Regardless of what happened to them, it’s quite clear that the couple is happy together. The couple got a fairy tale ending, at least for now. And about the endings, you, the reader, get to decide what exactly happens to them.
As for Roy’s fate, he seemed to suggest that he’s happy with spending unlimited time among his family. However, during the mid-credits scene, he learned about the possibility to leave the looped timeline. Though, the movie didn’t answer what he will do with the newly gained knowledge.
Palm Springs: Analysis
As we’ve said before, Palm Springs takes inspiration from Groundhog Day. However, it also applies an emotional twist to the trope. The movie also discusses the idea of stability vs change. As seen in the film, Nyle and Sarah have a conflict of interest when she chooses to leave the loop. Furthermore, it embraces the concept of facing adversities together. It is also a flick about marriage, about accepting and getting over fears and settling down with the other. At its core, Palm Springs provides a happy and sunny ending by showing the characters stay together, despite the circumstances.
Palm Springs: Reception
Despite the limited theatrical run, the film became a commercial success. Furthermore, upon its release on Hulu, Palm Springs became the platform’s one of the most-watched movies. The movie attracted more than 8% of Hulu subscribers in just its first month of release.
The cinema attracted acclaim from reviewers as well. Critics received the movie well at the Sundance Film Festival. And others also praised it for Samberg and Milioti’s strong performances, the direction. The movie’s fresh take on a popular concept collected plaudits as well. It has an 8.06% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, Metacritic gave it a score of 84 out of 100.
Palm Springs: Sequel
Though we don’t have any confirmation about a sequel, there’s no indication of it not happening. The story’s open ending leaves the possibility of a second movie ajar. Also, considering the reception it got both critically and financially, we won’t rule out the chances.
Palm Springs: Trailer
The producers have already released the trailer a long while ago. Readers can watch it here.
If you liked this article, consider giving my ‘Elizabeth Harvest‘ piece a read.
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