Hideo Kojima, the famous video game creator, has recently shared his appreciation for standalone episodes of the iconic series The X-Files, emphasizing its independent format that allows viewers to enjoy the series without the need for endless marathons. In particular, he has recommended the episode Monday (6×14), which explores a distressing time loop through the story of its protagonist, Pam. Unlike other tales in the genre that often offer redemptive endings, Monday focuses on pain and despair, providing an emotionally devastating experience. Two classic chapters of The X-Files The episode stands out for its unique approach to the […]
Hideo Kojima, the renowned video game creator, has recently shared his appreciation for standalone episodes of the iconic series The X-Files, highlighting its independent format that allows viewers to enjoy the series without the need for endless marathons. In particular, he has recommended the episode Monday (6×14), which explores a distressing time loop through the story of its protagonist, Pam. Unlike other tales in the genre that often offer redemptive endings, Monday focuses on pain and despair, providing an emotionally harrowing experience.
Two classic episodes of The X-Files
The episode stands out for its unique focus on tragedy, unlike classics like Groundhog Day, where the cycle is used as an opportunity for personal growth. Here, there are no second chances; the loop is inevitable and marked by hopelessness. Kojima points out that, in the end, the revelation behind the loop is deeply moving and highlights the anguish of a character trapped in an endless cycle of suffering.
This chapter of The X-Files also highlights the skill of Vince Gilligan, known for his ability to create narratives with significant psychological weight, as seen in his groundbreaking work on Breaking Bad. In Monday, the story is told from the perspective of a woman facing repeated pain, a theme that undoubtedly resonates with viewers. Kojima, in his brief assessment, recalls that Gilligan’s storytelling and his attention to character psychology make this episode a memorable experience.
Kojima and X-Files fans now have an opportunity to rediscover Monday, available on Disney+. This resurgence of standalone episodes reflects a desire among fans for stories that can be enjoyed independently and that, despite the passage of time, continue to resonate emotionally.
There are many time travel movies and almost all of them have the same problem: the time paradoxes make them very hard to believe for people who are very into the idea that movies should be as coherent as possible. The way to solve this is for time travel to be…
There are many time travel movies, and almost all of them have the same problem: time paradoxes make them very hard to believe for people who are very invested in the idea that movies should be as coherent as possible. The way to solve this is to make time travel as controlled as possible. That is, it should not have consequences. For that, time loops were invented, which have proven to be very effective in fiction.
In addition to a great episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Groundhog Day, it seems that this is not the most popular form of time travel, even if it practically eliminates all time travel problems. But a recent movie was able to see its potential and exploit it to the fullest. And now it is coming to streaming. What’s its name? Palm Springs.
A Different Time Loop Movie
The premise of the movie is very simple. Nyles attends the wedding of two of his friends, Tala and Abe. There he meets one of the bridesmaids, Sarah, the depressed half-sister of the bride, with whom he connects and they decide to escape to the nearby desert to have sex. Then, out of nowhere, someone shoots Nyles with an arrow and he asks Sarah not to follow him as he runs into a cave, but Sarah, seeing that he has been shot with an arrow out of nowhere, decides to ignore his plea and follows him. She finds herself led to a time vortex that makes her wake up that same morning in her hotel room, starting the day over again on November 9, the day of her half-sister’s wedding.
That is the premise of the movie. Nyles and Sarah are trapped in a time loop and someone is trying to kill Nyles for circumstances that are revealed to us later. All of this develops into a hilarious romantic science fiction comedy where Nyles will have to discover that life has meaning, Sarah will have to learn that love is not a waste of time, and Nyles’ potential killer, well, it’s better not to kill him.
With a perfect duration of 90 minutes, a frantic pace, and spectacular chemistry between its main actors, Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, with a touch of familiarity from J. K. Simmons portraying an absolutely superb assassination attempt on Nyles, it is a charming and hilarious movie. A comedy that is unforgettable.
Released directly on streaming platforms, since the chosen platform was Hulu, its availability outside the US was limited and its distribution in theaters was restricted to be eligible for the awards of the year of its release, 2020 and 2021. In that sense, it did not do badly. Winning the award for Best Comedy at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards, it was nominated for two Golden Globes, for Best Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy, although it did not win any of the statuettes.
Where it worked best was between critics and the public. Receiving a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and ranking twelfth on Metacritic’s list of the best films of the year, it was chosen as the best film of the year by IGN. And, even today, it is remembered as a cult classic in both science fiction and romantic comedy.
Now it arrives on one of the main streaming platforms, and that means its availability will be greater than ever. So, if you like time travel, time loops, characters who are a complete mess but have a heart of gold, hilarious comedies, or romantic comedies where the characters start by hating each other but it’s clear they are made for each other, if not all of the above at once, you must watch Palm Springs. Because it is an absolutely fantastic movie.
