Palm Springs – An Original and Highly-Captivating Romcom (Early Review)

Palm Springs is arguably best enjoyed going into blind in order to fully appreciate all the intricate twists, turns, and other moments that the film has to offer. Don’t let appearances be deceiving as the film may appear a certain way on the surface though in reality, it is much more than that. Thanks to a highly-original and smart script, it takes the often stale romcom genre in a fresh direction that is not only hilarious but also captivating to watch thanks to the incredible chemistry of its two leads. This is the kind of film that is hard to truly talk about without giving too much away. While many may single out its unique gimmick (for lack of a better word), the film is much more than that as it merely frames those romcom elements in an interesting way while allowing for some surprisingly deep and compelling character exploration. Meanwhile, all of this happens over a tight, fast-paced 90 minute running time where not a single minute is wasted.

The story of Palm Springs follows the free-spirited Nyles (Samberg) and the black sheep Sarah (Milioti) as they happen to meet over the course of a wedding in Palm Springs. Their situation suddenly took a turn for the worst as the unlikely partners found themselves unwittingly stuck at the wedding and like it or not, with each other. This predicament allowed plenty of time for some real introspection for each of them and as a result, the two really started to let loose and live in the moments as hijinks ensued, leading to plenty of hilarious moments beyond the wedding itself. Nyles and Sarah’s shared experience also gave them time to grow closer to one another for better or worse but in the end, despite how things may have seemed, their fun clearly couldn’t last forever as they could only distract from their underlying issues for so long. They had to face them sooner or later and the climax of those realizations were just as strong if not better than the fun moments, creating a great tonal balance as a whole.

Though while watching, it’s easy to want more from what could be a silly story for some but it’s best not to think about it too much. At the end of the day, Palm Springs‘ premise only allows for so much before getting old and the film straddles that line without losing its way. Meanwhile, the gimmick also weaves the wedding in with Nyles and Sarah’s stories in an engaging way through the use of quirky side characters, including a man named Roy (Simmons) who was also part of their predicament. The individual elements may not be new but the film lives or dies with its characters and they are what makes Palm Springs such a fun watch. However, this would not be the case if not for a great script and this was also the case here. Though it may be silly at times, it also heartfelt and what makes it all work are the relatable and likable characters at its center. Viewers will want to go on the journey with Nyles and Sarah.

As mentioned, the best part of Palm Springs are the superb performances from Samberg and Milioti as Nyles and Sarah respectively along with their dynamite chemistry. Samberg turned on the charm as Nyles, using his natural charisma while flexing his comedic chops and also showing a softer side. Milioti as Sarah was similar to Samberg, equally partaking in the zaniness and acting as a nice counterbalance. While it was mostly the latter’s experience that drove the plot forward, the two were a blast to watch together. Meanwhile, Simmons was a decent foil in limited screen time and Jena Friedman’s deadpan delivery as Daisy the Bartender was also a highlight.

Overall, Palm Springs is a delight that should make for some fun summer viewing.

still courtesy of Hulu

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.