'Groundhog Day,' again? Try these other time-loop tales for a change
Strike up the “Pennsylvania Polka” and remember to not drive angry - Groundhog Day is upon us! Again!
And so is “Groundhog Day,” the classic Bill Murray comedy that you've seen a hundred times (or does it just feel that way?) and can see a hundred more on AMC, Philo and fuboTV, or that DVD that's been gathering dust for a few years.
Perhaps you're tired of Phil Conners living the same day over and over again, but enjoy the whole time-loop thing. Here are five alternative programming choices to check out while you wait for the little rodent to see his shadow:
“Palm Springs” (Hulu)
This 2020 comedy is close in premise and spirit to “Groundhog Day,” with a few key divergences: R-rated humor, and more than one character reliving the same day over and over again.
“Saturday Night Live” alum Andy Samberg and stage and screen actress Cristin Milioti play Nyles and Sarah, two aimless 30-somethings suffering from arrested development, both personally and, uh, temporally. They relive the day of Sarah's sister's wedding over and over again. While the movie doesn't name-check “Groundhog Day,” its heroes do try that film's avenue to exiting the loop - selfless behavior and personal growth - but they're more interested in drinking beer by the pool and causing havoc at the wedding.
This very funny film does arrive at a solution, but not one that requires the characters to conform to the norm. Take that, Judd Apatow.
“Edge of Tomorrow” (Amazon Prime, TNT, TBS)
Tom Cruise is a hapless military PR man thrust into battle against alien invaders who kill him instantly. But this is a time-loop movie!
With each daily do-over, Cruise becomes more and more of a soldier under the tutelage of an armor-clad warrior played by Emily Blunt. The dialogue is crackling - especially from the late, great Bill Paxton as Cruise's commander - but the real joy is seeing Cruise go from bumbling fool to killing machine. He doesn't often let the audience see cracks in his action-hero veneer.
“Source Code” (Showtime, fuboTV)
The plot of this one is pure hooey (that's a technical term), and the setting can't be beat: a Metra train heading into Chicago.
Much of the film was shot in Canada, but Millennium Park and “the bean” do show up at the end of this thriller in which Jake Gyllenhaal relives a terrorist bombing over and over again until he can find a way to stop it.
The twist isn't great, but the cast is: Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Geoffrey Wright and Scott Bakula are along for the ride.
“Happy Death Day” (fuboTV)
This delightful horror comedy soars thanks to Jessica Rothe, playing a college student stalked by a serial killer who can't seem to finish the job - every time he kills our heroine, she bounces right back.
This should have been a star-making performance for Rothe, who hits all the right notes in her journey from stuck-up sorority girl to lovable savior, but her most notable credit since its 2017 release was the sequel, “Happy Death Day 2U.” (That one's good, too, and reworks the central gimmick into an homage to '80s sci-fi.)
“The X-Files” Episode 6x14, “Monday” (Hulu, Philo)
Yes, of course, Mulder and Scully had a time-loop episode, this one involving a bank robbery and a bomb that keeps going off. This came in the last great season of the series, and boasts a script co-written by “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan.
Hey, while you're at it, you should look up all the episodes Gilligan wrote - they're all good.
Sean Stangland is an assistant news editor who hopes he doesn't wake up tomorrow and have to write this same column again.