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So, last week I had a tooth out, and the (literally) bloody hole where it used to be got infected. If you’ve experienced that kind of dental pain yourself, you’ll know that it turns you into something like the Hulk, only with fewer anger management skills. It’s also hard to think, let alone work, so I found myself slumping (angrily) in front of the TV for days and sleepless nights as I waited for the antibiotics to do their work. I watched a lot:

Palm Springs – Amazon Prime

Bad Times at the El Royale – Disney +

Our Kind of Traitor – Amazon Prime

The Invitation – Netflix

Fair Game – Amazon Prime

Rebellion series one – Netflix

Don’t Breathe – Amazon Prime

The Climb – Amazon Prime (paid, but on special offer for £1.99 when I watched it)

Series one of Line of Duty – BBC iPlayer, also on Netflix (series six currently airing on BBC One at 2100 BST on Sundays)

All were good entertainment, some were outstanding.

I’ve done some reviews, but this has resulted in a lot of text, so will drip feed it out over the next few days and … perhaps … I’ll talk a wee bit more about Line of Duty at the end, because, Mother of God, it didn’t drift down the Lagan in a bubble fella, and now it’s really sucking diesel! (If you’re not a fan, this won’t make much sense, but you’re also missing out on quality entertainment…)

Palm Springs is the latest from the Lonely Island guys. If you haven’t heard of them, take a look on YouTube for their hysterical music videos… Jack Sparrow is a personal favourite (NSFW… but WTF are you doing reading this at work?). Unlike their earlier, hilarious movies, Hot Rod (2007) and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), this one only features Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), rather than the whole crew, and it has a different vibe from those earlier films, but it is excellent, possibly an instant classic.

There have been a few clever takes on the Groundhog Day formula recently. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) was woefully underrated, and Happy Death Day (2017) was tremendous fun, genuinely improved on by its sequel, Happy Death Day 2U in 2019, despite the awful title. What these takes lacked in Bill Murray, they made up in genre smarts and heart, but Palm Springs takes on Groundhog Day on its own terms, as a rom-com, and it wipes the floor with it.

First, while Andy Samberg may not be Bill Murray (who is?), he’s a gifted actor and comedian in his own right, with a similar easy charisma and command of the screen.

Secondly, in Palm Springs, Cristin Milioti plays the female half of the romantic pairing. It turns out she was drastically underserved by her fleeting role as the eponymous mother in How I Met Your Mother. Here, she is engaging, hilarious and completely convincing as someone who’s made seriously bad choices in life. You’ll be rooting for her despite that. The film also stars JK Simmons. JK Simmons is always formidable, isn’t he? He’s having a ball in this.

Thirdly, and I realise this is so obvious as to be dumbass, but Groundhog Day was repetitive. As the audience, you feel just as trapped as Phil the weatherman, and comedy genius or not, I think I’d be right there with the various suicide attempts after a while. Palm Springs skips all of that. Someone always must go first, and this modern crop of repeated day movies have the benefit of hindsight. Moreover, this comes after another thirty years of continually decreasing attention spans. That’s not always bad – this movie is sharper and more dynamic than Groundhog Day was. In Palm Springs, the young protagonists take every advantage of repeatedly living an entirely consequence-free day.

Like another film on this list, the less you know going in, the more you’ll enjoy it, but this is a modern, heartfelt, heartwarming comedy that will just make you feel a little happier, especially if you’re married. And yes, it is painfully, choke-on-your-drink funny. Try it.

Tomorrow: Bad Times at the El Royale, Our Kind of Traitor, The Invitation & Fair Game