Our take
Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti (Modern Love, Black Mirror), and J.K. Simmons star in this easy but original rom-com that takes place in a wedding time loop. Nyles (Samberg) finds himself living the same day over and over again, so he gives in to the monotony and the fact that there is no way to escape it.
When he is about to hook up with one of the guests, Sarah (Milioti), he is attacked by a mysterious character. The routine of his time-loop is broken.
Palm Springs is often surreal and philosophical, which are not adjectives usually used to describe rom-coms. It offers just enough twists to be original without jeopardizing the things that make it a good rom-com.
The story
When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated when they find themselves unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.
Elsewhere
"What a dazzling vision of the purgatorial: a desert of vast eternity, strewn with so-so canapés, stumblebum speeches, and worse dancing. Sisyphus had it easy."
— Anthony Lane
"One of its immediate pleasures comes in how dexterously it skims past many of the obligatory beats in order to get to less-explored territory."
— Alison Willmore
Who picked it
Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is based in the US and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.
This is not your traditional rom-com. Yes, it contains a lot of the similar tropes wrapped up in a groundhog day -ish plot. It’s funny with introspective, serious moments that are broken at the right time. Rewatchable.