When the carefree Nyles (Andy Samberg) and reluctant bridesmaid Sarah (Cristin Milioti) happen to meet at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated as they cannot escape the venue, themselves or each other.
Release date: July 10
Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J. K. Simmons, Camila Mendes
Director: Max Barbakow
Why it’s great: Beginning streaming amid a pandemic, a time when many lives plunged into a relentless loop of isolation and tedious repetition, the Lonely Island-produced Palm Springs comedy has probably made a splash is different from when it premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Jokes about the same joke over and over again got worse and worse. Following the romance between a goofy wedding guest (Andy Samberg) and the bride’s self-destructive sister (Cristin Milioti), writer Andy Siara’s clever script combines currentism Born Groundhog Day with a fun contest in quantum physics, offering inspirational life lessons and math practice sessions at a short pace. Much like how Tom Cruise had to fight the aliens in Edge of Tomorrow, the two had to reminisce on the wedding multiple times, struggling to escape a celebratory, Instagram-ready hell. It might not be quite as comical as Samberg’s other big-screen adventures Hot Rod and Popstar, but Palm Springs found its own spin of victory on a surprisingly powerful micro-genre.
Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J. K. Simmons, Camila Mendes
Director: Max Barbakow
Why it’s great: Beginning streaming amid a pandemic, a time when many lives plunged into a relentless loop of isolation and tedious repetition, the Lonely Island-produced Palm Springs comedy has probably made a splash is different from when it premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Jokes about the same joke over and over again got worse and worse. Following the romance between a goofy wedding guest (Andy Samberg) and the bride’s self-destructive sister (Cristin Milioti), writer Andy Siara’s clever script combines currentism Born Groundhog Day with a fun contest in quantum physics, offering inspirational life lessons and math practice sessions at a short pace. Much like how Tom Cruise had to fight the aliens in Edge of Tomorrow, the two had to reminisce on the wedding multiple times, struggling to escape a celebratory, Instagram-ready hell. It might not be quite as comical as Samberg’s other big-screen adventures Hot Rod and Popstar, but Palm Springs found its own spin of victory on a surprisingly powerful micro-genre.
