Episode 2—Palm Springs: The Dinosaurs are Real
“Time loop movies are a take on the American road trip movie ... the scenery doesn’t change, but you change.”
Andy Samberg as Nyles (left) and Cristin Milioti as Sara (right) facing the first of many deaths in Max Barbakow and Andy Sciara’s Palm Springs (2020). (Hulu)
“It’s less about what you’re seeing and more about experiencing a feeling together.”
Jessee’s favorite movie from 2020, Palm Springs, is a new take on the infinite time loop. This dark rom-com is funny, fresh, and fun to watch with vibrant colors, fast montages, and layers of meaning all wrapped up in a tight 90 minutes - a perfect movie for the pandemic summer.
This week, the sisters declare their love for all things Andy Samberg, do a deep dive on dinosaurs, and reflect on the moral belief structures explored in time-loops.
Show Notes
Film Synopsis
We first meet Nyles, a guest at a wedding in Palm Springs, CA, whose intriguingly weirdo demeanor catches the eye of the bride’s sister, Sara. They hang out after the reception, wander into the desert, and out of nowhere a man appears and starts hunting Nyles with a bow and arrow. Injured, Nyles drags himself into a mysterious cave that opened after an earthquake. Curious and concerned, Sara follows him inside the cave and gets sucked inside… only to discover she immediately wakes up that same morning. Sara and Nyles must relive the wedding day over and over… in an infinite time loop. Palm Springs, directed by Max Barbakow and written by Andy Siara, starring Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, and J.K. Simmons.
References
Interview with Max Barbakow and Andy Siara, Vulture
Interview with Matt Friedman, editor of Palm Springs, Deadline
Analysis of ending of Palm Springs, Vulture
Groundhog Day (1993)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
Juno (2007)
Hot Rod (2007)
Celeste & Jesse Forever (2012)
I Love You, Man (2009)
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
The Good Lord Bird (2020)
This Is 40 (2012)
Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
Table 19 (2017)
Lodge 49 (2018-2019)
Overboard (1987)
Escape from L.A. (1996)
Spider-Man (2002)
Recommendations
Jessee: Made for Love (2021)
Frankee: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
Annee: Run Lola Run (1998)
