Director Max Barbakow, making his narrative feature-length debut, mostly nails it. The pacing of this 90-minute romantic comedy is swift, and he ensures that the tone remains consistent throughout. A few edits are a bit odd, such as when Nyles first runs away from Roy, where precisely he’s running and why is hard to properly understand (the cave is not established early enough).
And there are times where the CGI is off. The time-loop effect is fine, but the CGI of the bomb on the arrow before its shot to the sky is distracting. And if that wasn’t done via computers, it will go down as one of the worst practical effects of all time. A few other scenes, such as a crash, also have less than convincing results.
But what truly makes Palm Springs stand out as one of the most enjoyable films of the year is the cast. Andy Samberg has never been better, getting to play around with his typical on-screen persona. For a while, it seems that Nyles is just another aloof and charming Samberg character. But as he falls for Sarah, thus investing him in the stakes of the outcome of each same day, he peels away layers to reveal to a raw beating heart; the emotional ride this movie takes you on sneaks up and surprises one, and that is in large part because Samberg is so good here.
“…Samberg and Milioti share wonderful chemistry, making their instant spark all that much more believable…”
It certainly helps that Cristin Milioti equals Samberg in every way. Her desperate attempts to find a way out at the beginning versus her letting loose later on, perfectly show the actor’s range, and she does a terrific job. When Sarah tells Nyles that she “… can’t keep waking up here…” she breaks the audience’s heart. It certainly helps that Samberg and Milioti share wonderful chemistry, making their instant spark all that much more believable, immediately investing the viewers into their relationship.
JK Simmons is so much fun as the violent, angry, shockingly deep Roy, that one almost wants to see his entire story from beginning to end. The supporting cast, including a fun, though underused Peter Gallagher, are all fantastic as well.
While the CGI and some of the edits in Palm Springs are distracting, they are such minor complaints compared to everything the movie gives. It is funny, dramatic, tense, and original, easily bypassing several tropes of time-loop stories. It’s assuredly directed with a consistent visual tone, and the cast is absolutely dynamite, especially Samberg and Milioti, who have never been better.
"…snappy, endlessly quotable, and often hysterical."
