This Underrated Sci-Fi Comedy Is Still One of the Best of the Decade

Sci-fi epics dominate the genre, and it’s easy to see why. Major franchises, such as Avatar and Dune, bring fantastical worlds to life and tell intense stories of good versus evil. However, there’s just as much room for comedic sci-fi films in the entertainment landscape. Classics like Back to the Future and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure are great examples, with both focusing on time travel, a staple of the genre. Time finds itself at the center of plenty of great stories because getting a second chance at a moment is a fascinating concept. What’s even more enticing, though, is getting an endless number of opportunities to get things right.

Hulu’s Palm Springs sees two characters, Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti), get stuck in a time loop, which, at first, seems great. But all the time to themselves forces them to confront issues they would rather avoid forever. The movie covers the usual ground for a comedy, but its sci-fi premise kicks things up a notch, making it a must-watch.

Palm Springs Is Deeper Than It Seems

Sarah is attending her sister’s wedding in Palm Springs, and she isn’t doing too hot. Her day gets a little better when she runs into Nyles, another guest at the ceremony who would rather be anyone else. They sneak off to hook up in the desert, and everything’s going great until Nyles is hit by an arrow. Without thinking too much about it, Sarah follows Nyles into a cave to escape the assailant, which forces her into the same time loop they’re both in. It turns out that Nyles has been attending the wedding for a long time and made an enemy out of Roy (J.K. Simmons), another guest.

After the initial shock wears off, Sarah decides to embrace her new reality, doing things she would never have the courage to do outside of a time loop. The good times don’t last forever, though, as past mistakes begin to rear their ugly heads. Sarah eventually has to face the fact that she slept with her sister’s fiancé the night before the wedding, and Nyles must admit that he slept with Sarah on several occasions before she entered the time loop. Sarah decides to get her life back on track and starts to learn about quantum physics in order to create an escape plan.

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Nyles is afraid of returning to the real world, so he declines Sarah’s offer to test out her theories. He does admit that he’s in love with her and is scared about what might happen if they live in a reality with consequences, which is enough to get Sarah to forgive him. The two then head back into the cave, blow it up, and escape from the time loop. The next day, they’re swimming in a pool, living life to the fullest. However, Palm Springs ends there, leaving the future of the main duo up in the air.

There’s Never Been a Better Riff of Groundhog Day Than Palm Springs

It’s clear from the premise of Palm Springs that the movie takes inspiration from another time-loop movie, Groundhog Day. Like Bill Murray’s Phil, Nyles and Sarah have to relive a day they’d rather forget over and over. What Palm Springs has over its predecessor is that it’s forcing two characters to grow rather than one. By having someone else to worry about, the movie forces Nyles and Sarah to really learn about empathy, and it’s an eye-opening experience for the duo.

The ambiguous ending also provides it bonus points because, while Nyles and Sarah embrace, just like Phil and his partner, Rita, there’s far less finality in the couple’s situation. They may very well commit to one another after a lifetime of being afraid of doing that very thing, or they may go their separate ways after their last adventure runs its course. It doesn’t matter either way because, at the end of the day, they’re better people now and ready to attack life with a more positive attitude.

Palm Springs is streaming now on Hulu.

Have you seen Palm Springs on Hulu? What do you think of the sci-fi movie? Let us know in the comments below!