With Lonely Island and Brooklyn 99 star Andy Samberg, Palm Springs is a movie that had my attention. Having recently rewatched the 2007 film Hot Rod, starring Samberg and directed by his fellow Lonely Island member Akiva Schaffer, I somewhat expected this movie to be a funny yet forgettable comedy. My expectations were blown away as I watched the movie, which featured the expected comedy, yet also contained an impactful message that stayed with me at the end.
The characters in the movie are simple and we get close to Samberg’s Niles and Cristin Milioti’s Sarah. Providing depth and complexity to their characters throughout the film and creating characters who the audience can relate and root for.
The story riffs on played out movie concepts in a way that makes them feel original. It is able to showcase many genres such as the expected comedy, but include romance and drama. The film is not confined to one and switches flawlessly in single scenes. There is real heart in the movie and the jokes all play into the story rather than interrupting a scene just for a laugh.
This is one where knowing less going in is best for the experience so I won’t delve too deep into the plot. The performances are top-notch and Samberg and Milioti have real chemistry on screen.
Palm Springs is a film that deserves all of the hype that it is receiving. In a bidding war for distribution rights, Hulu/NEON reportedly paid $17.5 million for the rights to stream the film. After its July 10th release date, Hulu soon announced that it was the most successful original movie release on their platform.
Though 2020 has been a strange year for new movies, I can say that Palm Springs is my favorite new movie of the year, so far. After rewatching movies for months, seeing Palm Springs was a great joy.
