PALM SPRINGS

BY: Jeff Daugherty

Ever since Harold Ramis’ seminal comedy Groundhog Day in 1993, a revolving door of “stuck in a time loop” comedies have tried with varying degrees of success to similarly capture lightning in a bottle.

In recent years, Happy Death Day and its sequel Happy Death Day 2U achieved modest success as time loop capers with a slasher twist. Netflix tried twice with Marlon Wayans’ Naked and Adam Devine vehicle When We First Met; both films were critically panned as inferior Groundhog Day knockoffs.

Fortunately, Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island have emerged from Sundance with a winning take on the old-time loop formula. Palm Springs, starring Samberg and Cristin Milioti of How I Met Your Mother fame, is the story of two very different thirty-somethings who have a chance encounter at a wedding — and then another chance encounter, and another and so on. You see, they keep reliving the same day, much like Bill Murray, Marlon Wayans and Adam Devine before them.

Samberg and Milioti are perfectly cast here as the aging slacker and disillusioned maid of honor, respectively. Though they’ve played such characters before, this more cerebral comedy gives them some breathing room to refine these tried and true archetypes.

J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher and Riverdale’s Camila Mendes round out the cast while newcomer Max Barbakow directs. Other details are scarce at this time — there’s no trailer yet, only a behind the scenes feature — but perhaps what’s gone on behind the scenes of Palm Springs is enough to sell audiences on the upcoming film.

Hulu and Neon purchased the rights at Sundance for over $17 million, making this the highest sale in the history of the festival. It currently sits at a rare 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Will Palm Springs live up to the hype? You won’t have to wait very long to find out — the film will be released July 10th on Hulu, though Samberg promises that it will also be available in select drive-in theaters.