“It’s like Groundhog Day but for millennial burnout” – Joshua Rivera, The Verge
I LOVE this movie. I love the dance scene with Nyles (Andy Samberg) within the first 10 minutes of the movie, signalling that he’s been at this moment a thousand times before and does not give a shit if he embarrasses himself. It just so happens that in one of his endless replays of November 9, Sarah (Cristin Milioti) follows him into a cave that enables her to relive her sister’s wedding day over and over again, as Nyles has for Lord knows how long.
Side notes – I love the character transformation of Roy (J.K. Simmons) by the end of the movie, despite not really seeing him that much throughout it. I just love J.K. Simmons in any role he plays. Been a fan since he played J.J. Jameson in the early 2000’s Spiderman trilogy. I’m glad there was an added scene towards in the end where we learn who Sarah left the voicemail for and that Roy may in fact get to see his kids grow older. Honestly, this whole movie could have been a miniseries. The idea of being in a time loop leaves potential and a lot to unpack for any character involved in the endless saga. How do they grapple with this idea? We don’t really get to see Nyles or Roy confront those around them who aren’t stuck on the same day forever. It had to have been harder for Nyles versus Sarah, who had Nyles telling her the ins and outs of how this works after thousands of experimentations himself.
By the end of the movie, Sarah is fed up with everything and actually finds a way out of an endless time loop by studying quantum physics and was willing to go by herself and leave Nyles behind because he kind of wanted to be stuck in the hell of being in a time loop forever. After all, knowing you can do almost anything without aging or dying does have its pros.
Also in the beginning of the movie, we catch a glimpse of the goat who *I think* Sarah uses to figure out that they can all live to see November 10 after all.
Is her grandma caught in the time loop, too? One of the last scenes in the movie suggests it, or maybe the comment can actually be chalked up to her going to many weddings in her lifetime.
All in all, this movie is refreshing and intriguing for a rom-com nowadays, especially during this pandemic where some days feel like the day before without all the extravagance and inability to fuck up and start over the next day. I know the plot of a time loop has been done before, but I enjoyed watching Sarah’s and Nyles’s concepts of life unfold into something more than that the idea of life is meaningless and everyone is essentially alone. That doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of life with someone who is truly a good partner for you, right?
– A
Photoplay Prospectus 