Here’s Why Everyone’s Talking About 2020’s Best Rom Com Again (And Why You Should Stream It Tonight)

You may be noticing Palm Springs popping up in your feed, and you have a new Amazon Prime rom com to thank for that.

Updated 9 months ago, April 12, 2024

A 2020 romantic comedy that’s like Groundhog’s Day baked in the summer sun is finally getting the attention it deserves.

There was something magical about Palm Springs. Maybe it was the undeniable chemistry between Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. Perhaps it was the fun take on the classic Groundhog Day-esque premise of living the same day over and over again. Or it came out in a time when we all needed a bit of escape to the sunny Palm Springs depicted in the movie (aka, the dark stuck-scared-in-your-house era of 2020). But you may be noticing this underrated instant classic popping up in your feeds again, and there’s a very good reason why–and you can thank a new Amazon Prime rom com for it.

The Palm Springs / Música Connection

Let’s spend a moment in 2024 for just a second. Camila Mendes, who you might best know for her role as Veronica in the wild Riverdale CW series, has had not one but two made-for-prime romantic comedies debut so far this year. First, Upgraded about a girl who pretends to be an art director after she’s upgraded to first class, and, just recently, Música. Co-written, directed, and starring Mendes’ IRL boyfriend Rudy Mancuso, Música is about a man who hears music wherever he goes and who wants so desperately to find love–and could that be with Camila Mendes’ Isabella?

Though it’s only been out for about a month, Música already has a huge following who are finding the film refreshing and fun. (Plus, the world needs some good original musicals right now.) The movie currently has a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating, which is wildly high, especially for a rom com. The high praise is spurring fans to dig up the other well-loved and highly rated rom com in Camila Mendes’ credits: The aforementioned Palm Springs.

Palm Springs follows Andy Samberg’s Nyles as he attends a wedding in the titular California town. He meets sister-of-the-bride Sarah (Cristin Milioti) and they go off to spend the night in the desert. But just as the night is about to end, Sarah follows Nyles into a mysterious cave…and suddenly it’s that same morning and she’s living the day over again. They have fun, they fall in love, they fight, and they hopefully solve how to get out of the time loop. All the while, Camila Mendes plays Sarah’s sister, the bride, not knowing that Sarah has a sisterly relationship-ending secret.

While many have never even heard that Palm Springs exists (which is criminal, by the way), it continues to hold a high and well-deserved Rotten Tomatoes rating of 94%. Both rom coms have broken the cycle when it comes to romance-hating film critics, and both feature great performances by everyone’s favorite Veronica, Camila Mendes, hence why so many are now going back to the 2020 film. While the connection between the two films may seem tenuous, you have to admit that it’s so rare these days to come across romantic comedies that are so insanely watchable.