“Palm Springs” from Neon premiered at Sundance on January 26, 2020 and was released on Hulu this past July 10. The film tells the story of Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) as two wedding guests stuck in the same time loop. The pair develops a friendship as they adjust to their circular fate. This rom-com balances an absurd premise alongside quirky realism to create a wild and endearing film. Scroll down for our exclusive video interviews with top Oscar and Golden Globe contenders from the film.
Samberg just scored his first film Globe nominations for “Palm Spirings.” In 2013 he won in the TV Comedy Actor race for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” His film work has previously been dominated by screwball comedies such as “Hot Rod” and “Popstar: Never Stop Stopping,” This comedy performance carries more weight as the characters explore ideas of purpose, loneliness and commitment. It hearkens back to the range he displayed in the 2012 film “Celeste and Jesse Forever.” Milioti is a Tony-nominated (2012) and Grammy winning (2013) performer for her work on the Broadway musical “Once.” The chemistry between her and Samberg as they try to find meaning in a seemingly meaningless existence gives the film its heart.
The film was directed by Max Barbakow and written by Andy Siara. The pair worked on the story together while Siara was planning his own wedding in Palm Springs. They went through the AFI together and, after working on a couple of short films, the duo wanted to make their first feature together. This means they are both hoping to snag their first Oscar bids for the same film.
With a limited budget and a shooting schedule of just over 20 days, there was a big task for the behind the scenes crew. After working on the Emmy-nominated mini-series “Unbelievable,” Quyen Tran was brought in to do the cinematography. And Matthew Friedman, who edited last year’s critically hailed film “The Farewell,” put all the pieces of “Palm Springs” together.
Will “Palm Springs” lead to Oscar success for these contenders? Far too often comedies get overlooked by the academy. This film’s existential heft and endearing quirks will hopefully overcome this bias. It provides an opportunity for the academy to show they can embrace the comedic arts in a big way. Follow the links below to see what some of the film’s creative team have to say.
Andy Samberg, Actor
Cristin Milioti, Actor
Max Barbakow, Director
Andy Siara, Writer
Quyen Tran, Cinematographer
Matthew Friedman, Editor
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