What the Stuck-in-a-Time-Loop Movie “Palm Springs” Taught Me During 2020
Aren’t we all kind of in a time-loop right now?
When I heard about the movie Palm Springs, I thought it was ironic that its premise was “stuck in a time loop” and it was produced during 2020, a time where we felt (and still feel) like we’re all a little bit stuck: In our houses, in quarantine, in the insane year that was 2020.
However, after watching, I found that #1 I loved this movie, and #2 actually found a lot of deeper meaning behind it.
If you haven’t watched Palm Springs, I highly recommend it.
Here’s a quick premise
Palm Springs is a time loop movie, but it is much more than that. It’s a hilarious comedy, part-rom-com with some fantastical action thrown, while still managing to strike some emotional notes in its viewers. It’s the morning of a wedding where we meet Nyles (Andy Samberg), an overly confident but loveable loner and boyfriend of the bride’s best friend, who has been stuck in a wedding day time loop for, well, we’re not sure how long, but a pretty long time.
One (repeated) day, Nyles accidentally gets sister-of-the-bride Sarah (Cristin Milloti) stuck in the loop with him. As the same wedding day repeats itself, Sarah and Nyles explore different and often reckless variations of the day, such as lounging in strangers’ pools and doing mushrooms while thinking of ways out of the loop.
This may seem like any other loop movie, but here’s why it rocks:
Emotions seem real
In traditional loop movies, writing authentic character reactions to something fantastically impossible (such as being stuck in a time loop) seems to be a struggle. No one knows how someone would actually react to that situation, because it’s never happened (obviously). But in Palm Springs, Sarah’s rollercoaster of emotions, from dumbfoundedness and shock to c’est la vie nonchalance, as well as Nyle’s long-held grudging acceptance of the situation, is actually very believable.
It’s fast-paced
The scenes in this movie are quick, but each one is integral. Because it’s partly a comedy, there’s no depressive moping around from any of the characters — it’s all okay we’re in a loop — now how are we going to live our lives? — the kind of action we actually want to see from loop films.
It’s so funny
The writing in this film is absolutely fantastic. As the plot keeps moving, the jokes keep coming. Andy Samberg’s character brings the charm and the loveable arrogance, while Sarah’s no-quit determination is fun to watch.
What I learned
Through all its jokes and action, this movie has its tender moments — between Sarah and her sister, and of course Sarah and Nyles. As with all loop movies, by living the same day over and over, the characters have to confront what truly matters in their lives and what is actually just fluff that they’ve pretended matters. Am I living my truth? Or am I living a life based on other people’s expectations?
And it made me wonder: if I were to live one day over and over, what would I want in it? What could I never live without? Through seeing the same day unfold repeatedly, a person is able to let go of what’s unimportant (like Nyles attempting to please a girlfriend who doesn’t care about him) and start to seek out things that make life meaningful.
A lot of people might think — I could never live the same day over and over for all of eternity — I’d go nuts. But there is one thing that could make living one day bearable:
“Love is all you need” — the Beatles
Just as the film reveals, it all boils down to love. If you have love, it doesn’t matter where you are, or what you’re doing; it doesn’t matter if you’re stuck at a wedding with people you don’t like very much or being forced to relive something terrible that you did over and over again. If love is present, it’s enough.
In the words of the Beatles, “love is all you need.”
And in the 2020 quarantine era, I’ve come to realize, there isn’t much that’s more important than love. With so much uncertainty, loss, and fear, and by being forced indoors, love makes all of this hardship a little more bearable.
This time has forced us all to reorient a little — from constantly thinking of the future towards the things that are right in front of us — our homes, families, and the present moment. Similar to the way love keeps the characters in Palm Springs grounded when stuck in a time loop, love stays unyielding when other areas of our lives feel unstable.
This film also teaches the importance of real connection and the difference between fakeness and authenticity. Before Sarah joined the loop, Nyles, though carefree, still felt lost without her, the only person in his world who could truly empathize with him. Human connection is irreplaceable — it’s been proven time and again that we need it. A theme that’s repeated in many films, authentic emotional exchange is one of the things that makes life worth living, and this funny, moving tale does a great job of showing it.
In a hilarious, compelling, and heartwarming way, Palm Springs teaches the valuable lessons of learning what really matters in your life, finding your truth, and unconditional love.
