Palm Springs (2020)

Director: Max Barbakow

Stars: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons
Runtime: 90 minutes

Synopsis: When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated as they are unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.

Performances: 7/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Editing: 7/10
Cinematography: 4/10
Score/Soundtrack: 5/10
Entertainment Factor: 6/10

Verdict: I was actually pretty excited to see what "Palm Springs" was all about. As a long time fan of The Lonely Island and Andy Samberg in particular, I knew that it was going to at least provide me with some well needed and clever laughs.

But my disappointment was immense when I realized that it was just another time loop film in which the protagonists are doomed to relive the same day over and over again. Conceptually, it's been done to death in the past and I was expecting "Palm Springs" to bring some kind of self-awareness to it, but sadly, it didn't. It resorted to the usual dodgy science to function which led to an extremely unsatisfactory and frustrating ending. But at its core, the time loop element was just a tool utilized to bring some spice to a romantic-comedy led by Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti who, alongside the extremely underrated Meredith Hagner (if you watch "Search Party" you probably know her as Portia), played their roles pretty effectively. The chemistry between the two leads was believable but the romantic aspect of the narrative never brought anything new to the table. It was yet another depiction of the same, cheesy, predictable romance we've seen a million times before. The comedy was easily the best aspect of the film despite not reaching the standards previously set by Samberg and his brand. The first half of the film, which focuses more on the jokes than the romance, is the one in which I had the most fun but I'd be lying if I said that I had a blast with it.

Everything about "Palm Springs", including the very bland cinematography, screams unspecial. I know that the movie's been getting a lot of praise but I fail to see why. It is a light and short watch you likely won't regret sitting through, but don't expect to have your mind blown as it is a film I feel I've seen many times before (no pun intended).

FINAL GRADE: 5/10