by Josh Sewell
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| Courtesy of Hulu |
The pandemic’s effect on moviegoing is a minor inconvenience when compared to a tanking economy, catastrophic unemployment and – worst of all – people getting sick and dying. That being said, one of the things I miss most about pre-COVID life is sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers and experiencing everyone falling in love with a film at the same time.
In a parallel universe somewhere, that’s exactly what’s happening with Palm Springs, a new romantic comedy that generated massive buzz at Sundance earlier this year and set a record for the biggest sale in the film festival’s history. Neon and Hulu had plans for a theatrical rollout, which would have been a blast, but instead it debuted on the streaming service last weekend.
That’s a shame, considering the flick had the potential to be a word-of-mouth hit thanks to a deceptively vague, clichéd plot that hides a much more surprising and inventive story. I love that even the title doesn’t give away anything other than a location.
A quick heads-up: if the first few paragraphs have piqued your interest, I strongly urge you to watch the movie before learning anything else about it. Don’t watch any trailers and don’t read any reviews – including the rest of this one (although I promise not to spoil anything).
In a parallel universe somewhere, that’s exactly what’s happening with Palm Springs, a new romantic comedy that generated massive buzz at Sundance earlier this year and set a record for the biggest sale in the film festival’s history. Neon and Hulu had plans for a theatrical rollout, which would have been a blast, but instead it debuted on the streaming service last weekend.
That’s a shame, considering the flick had the potential to be a word-of-mouth hit thanks to a deceptively vague, clichéd plot that hides a much more surprising and inventive story. I love that even the title doesn’t give away anything other than a location.
A quick heads-up: if the first few paragraphs have piqued your interest, I strongly urge you to watch the movie before learning anything else about it. Don’t watch any trailers and don’t read any reviews – including the rest of this one (although I promise not to spoil anything).
There are no The Sixth Sense-level twists or anything. But the opening 15 minutes do such a wonderful job of establishing the characters and genre tropes, then blindside the audience with delightfully bonkers new information so effectively, that it makes the movie even better than it promised to be in the first place. I didn’t know what to expect from Palm Springs, other than colleagues I trust telling me it was something special. Imagine my excitement 90 minutes later when I realized I just saw my favorite movie of the year so far.
If you need a little more info before you get on board with Palm Springs, here’s the bare minimum that you need to know (paraphrased from the film’s publicity materials). While stuck at a wedding in Palm Springs, Nyles (Andy Samberg, SNL vet and star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine) meets Sarah, the maid of honor and family black sheep (Cristin Milioti, The Wolf of Wall Street and FX’s Fargo).
After he rescues her from a disastrous toast, Sarah becomes drawn to Nyles and his offbeat nihilism. But when their impromptu encounter is ruined by a surreal interruption, Sarah must join Nyles in embracing the idea that nothing really matters. As a result, the wedding celebration is one for the books.
Palm Springs screenwriter Andy Siara and director Max Barbakow have crafted an instant classic that spans a several genres. The duo was clearly influenced by romantic comedies, but the plot also contains quite a bit of Groundhog Day, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and other humorous, yet melancholy films. But, contrary to something like Ready Player One, it never regresses into a game of “spot the pop culture references” at the expense of a compelling story with relatable characters.
I’m guessing a big part of that is because of Samberg and his Lonely Island partners’ involvement as executive producers. Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone not only play to Samberg’s comedic strengths, they also instill their distinct mixture of raunchy humor and unexpected heart.
Palm Springs features one of Samberg’s greatest performances. Yes, he’s hilarious, but he also nails the film’s emotional moments that ground the character in reality. Nyles is funny, but his behavior and one-liners come from a place of genuine pain and fear.
If the audience doesn’t buy into that aspect of the character, he’d just be a clown. Samberg makes sure that doesn’t happen. What’s more, his chemistry with Milioti is off the charts. Any time they share a scene, the screen practically smolders.
Speaking of, I still don’t understand why the actress isn’t a bigger star. Perhaps best known as the saving grace of the disastrous final season of How I Met Your Mother, Milioti is an incredible performer who’s equally adept at comedy and drama. She gets some of the film’s biggest (and most violent) laughs, but then she can turn around and deliver a poignant wedding speech, transforming its entire meaning with a sudden shift of her eyes.
Beloved character actor J.K. Simmons is also outstanding as a force of chaos in Nyles’ life. It’s better if you don’t know much about his role, but I had a huge grin on my face every time he showed up. Then, just when you think you know what his character’s going to do, he delivers a funny and heartfelt monologue that reminds you why he’s an Oscar winner.
Come to think of it, Palm Springs is stacked with terrific actors, including Peter Gallagher, Camila Mendes and Tyler Hoechlin as Sarah’s father, sister and future brother-in-law, respectively. But the true comedic assassins in the supporting cast are Meredith Hagner as Nyles’ annoying soon-to-be ex-girlfriend and Jena Friedman as a hilariously deadpan bartender.
Although it didn’t get a big theatrical debut, Palm Springs appears to be doing quite well for itself. Hulu announced earlier this week that the film set a record for the platform’s biggest opening weekend. The company doesn’t disclose hard numbers, so we don’t know what that means specifically. Regardless, I’m just thrilled that such a fun, creative, earnest film is finding an audience.
If you’re a Hulu subscriber, be sure to watch Palm Springs ASAP to avoid fun surprises getting spoiled for you. For those who aren’t subscribers, it’s worth signing up for a free trial. Beware, though: the movie’s so addictive that you might hang onto your subscription so you can reward yourself with multiple viewings. I’m on my third watch and I’ve noticed new details each time.
Palm Springs is rated R for sexual content, language throughout, drug use and some violence. Now streaming on Hulu.
Grade: A
If you need a little more info before you get on board with Palm Springs, here’s the bare minimum that you need to know (paraphrased from the film’s publicity materials). While stuck at a wedding in Palm Springs, Nyles (Andy Samberg, SNL vet and star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine) meets Sarah, the maid of honor and family black sheep (Cristin Milioti, The Wolf of Wall Street and FX’s Fargo).
After he rescues her from a disastrous toast, Sarah becomes drawn to Nyles and his offbeat nihilism. But when their impromptu encounter is ruined by a surreal interruption, Sarah must join Nyles in embracing the idea that nothing really matters. As a result, the wedding celebration is one for the books.
Palm Springs screenwriter Andy Siara and director Max Barbakow have crafted an instant classic that spans a several genres. The duo was clearly influenced by romantic comedies, but the plot also contains quite a bit of Groundhog Day, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and other humorous, yet melancholy films. But, contrary to something like Ready Player One, it never regresses into a game of “spot the pop culture references” at the expense of a compelling story with relatable characters.
I’m guessing a big part of that is because of Samberg and his Lonely Island partners’ involvement as executive producers. Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone not only play to Samberg’s comedic strengths, they also instill their distinct mixture of raunchy humor and unexpected heart.
Palm Springs features one of Samberg’s greatest performances. Yes, he’s hilarious, but he also nails the film’s emotional moments that ground the character in reality. Nyles is funny, but his behavior and one-liners come from a place of genuine pain and fear.
If the audience doesn’t buy into that aspect of the character, he’d just be a clown. Samberg makes sure that doesn’t happen. What’s more, his chemistry with Milioti is off the charts. Any time they share a scene, the screen practically smolders.
Speaking of, I still don’t understand why the actress isn’t a bigger star. Perhaps best known as the saving grace of the disastrous final season of How I Met Your Mother, Milioti is an incredible performer who’s equally adept at comedy and drama. She gets some of the film’s biggest (and most violent) laughs, but then she can turn around and deliver a poignant wedding speech, transforming its entire meaning with a sudden shift of her eyes.
Beloved character actor J.K. Simmons is also outstanding as a force of chaos in Nyles’ life. It’s better if you don’t know much about his role, but I had a huge grin on my face every time he showed up. Then, just when you think you know what his character’s going to do, he delivers a funny and heartfelt monologue that reminds you why he’s an Oscar winner.
Come to think of it, Palm Springs is stacked with terrific actors, including Peter Gallagher, Camila Mendes and Tyler Hoechlin as Sarah’s father, sister and future brother-in-law, respectively. But the true comedic assassins in the supporting cast are Meredith Hagner as Nyles’ annoying soon-to-be ex-girlfriend and Jena Friedman as a hilariously deadpan bartender.
Although it didn’t get a big theatrical debut, Palm Springs appears to be doing quite well for itself. Hulu announced earlier this week that the film set a record for the platform’s biggest opening weekend. The company doesn’t disclose hard numbers, so we don’t know what that means specifically. Regardless, I’m just thrilled that such a fun, creative, earnest film is finding an audience.
If you’re a Hulu subscriber, be sure to watch Palm Springs ASAP to avoid fun surprises getting spoiled for you. For those who aren’t subscribers, it’s worth signing up for a free trial. Beware, though: the movie’s so addictive that you might hang onto your subscription so you can reward yourself with multiple viewings. I’m on my third watch and I’ve noticed new details each time.
Palm Springs is rated R for sexual content, language throughout, drug use and some violence. Now streaming on Hulu.
Grade: A
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