Palm Springs (2020)
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Two strangers at a wedding find themselves trapped in a repeating time loop in the desert.
The story
On November 9, in Palm Springs, Nyles attends a wedding reception where he bonds with the maid of honor's half-sister, Sarah. After leaving the party to go into the desert, a mysterious incident causes both Nyles and Sarah to become trapped in a time loop. They realize that every time they fall asleep or die, the day resets to November 9. While Nyles has grown complacent and carefree after being stuck in the loop for a long time, Sarah struggles to find a way out. The two must navigate their shared predicament while dealing with a local man, Roy, who is also aware of the loop's existence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Nyles and Sarah find themselves trapped in a time loop on November 9 in Palm Springs. Nyles has been in the loop for a long time and has become reckless, while Sarah is new to the situation. They bond and eventually begin to enjoy the lack of consequences in their shared loop. However, tension arises when Sarah discovers Nyles's past lies and they deal with Roy, a man who stalks Nyles within the loop. Sarah eventually decides to study quantum physics to find a way out, eventually planning to blow herself up in a cave to break the cycle. Nyles, who has grown to love her, joins her in the final attempt. They kiss as she triggers the explosives. The film ends with them relaxing in a pool on November 10, suggesting they successfully escaped. A mid-credits scene shows Roy at the wedding, where Nyles no longer recognizes him, confirming Nyles is out of the loop.
- First release year
- 2020
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Max Barbakow
- Writers
- Andy Siara · screenplay; Max Barbakow · story; Andy Siara · story
- Cast and characters
- Andy Samberg · Nyles; Cristin Milioti · Sarah Wilder; J. K. Simmons · Roy Schlieffen; Meredith Hagner · Misty; Camila Mendes · Tala Anne Wilder; Tyler Hoechlin · Abraham Eugene Trent "Abe" Schlieffen; Peter Gallagher · Howard Wilder; Jacqueline Obradors · Pia Wilder
- Genres
- science fiction; romantic comedy
- Themes
- existentialism; fate
- Premise and plot tags
- time loop; romance
- Reception
- The film was met with critical acclaim for its use of the concept and cast performances, with some critics praising its unique take on the time-loop genre.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 83 · scale: 100 · review count: 42
- Awards and nominations
- Best Comedy · Critics' Choice Awards · win
- Production trivia
- The film features the Cabazon Dinosaurs.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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