By Steve Crum

I have to admit I disliked Palm Springs from the outset. How dare any film have the audacity to redo the classic 1993 Groundhog Day! How could the comparatively paltry Andy Samberg attempt to outdo or even equal Bill Murray? After the first 15 minutes, I calmed down and accepted what was really happening in Palm Springs. It takes the Groundhog Day set-up, and branches out in a half-dozen zany, original directions. It becomes much more than a re-imagining. 

And it is well worth seeing, folks. 

Palm Springs is accurately studio-described as a sci-fi romantic comedy. First of all, it involves three individuals stuck in a time loop that is linked to a cave in the California desert near downtown Palm Springs. (I suppose the location would also be considered Palm Springs.) That means the same day repeats itself for the three unfortunates. These three are: Nyles (Andy Samberg), Sarah Wilder (Cristin Milioti) and Roy Schlieffen (J. K. Simmons). 

The target date, the repeated target date, is Nov. 9. It is the wedding day of Tala Anne Wilder (Camila Mendes) and Abe Schlieffen (Tyler Hoechlin). Notably, Peter Gallagher and June Squibb are cast as family members. Present for the festivities is Nyles, the boyfriend of Tala’s bridesmaid, Misty (Meredith Hagner). 

At the reception, Nyles interrupts the wedding speeches with an impromptu rambling that diverts attention from maid-of-honor Sarah’s speech—who is not only too shy to speak but drunk. It then segues to the desert, after Nyles and Sarah have become fast acquaintances if not friends.

So begins a time warp journey that at first only involves Nyles and Roy and bows and arrows. Thanks to a mysterious cave vortex nearby, the curious Sarah gets involved. 

The cleverness of Max Barbakow’s direction blended with the originality of Andy Siara’s screenplay result in a fast-paced, extremely diverting 90 minutes. Although the love relationship between Nyles and Sarah seems inevitable from the get-go, it is fraught with problems as the same day is repeated—under varying circumstances—over and over.

Samberg and Milioti make a great team, playing off each other superbly. 

J. K. Simmons is up for the goofiness of it all, and adds fine support. 

Matthew Compton’s jaunty title tune and score are a plus. 

“Life can be a little less mundane with you in it,” Sarah tells Nyles. Palm Springs is anything but mundane. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A-