It all started with an alarm clock for most people. The mechanical numbers were flipped to 6 a.m. and the familiar sounds of Cher and Sonny rang out. Groundhog Day was here again and Bill Murray’s Phil Conners was set to relive the worst day in his life. Groundhog Day’s concept wasn’t invented, but it manages to be a comedy that combines dark humor with silly humor and genuine heartfelt comedy. It has been the most popular time-loop comic for nearly 20 years. The basic idea behind every single time loop movie is that a character or group of characters experiences the same time in a loop. Their interactions within the loop are the only elements of change. Although Groundhog Day was a prominent figure in the 1990s, there were many new interpretations of the trope by the mid-2000s. The underrated Emily Blunt (and Tom Cruise) vehicle Edge of Tomorrow (aka Live. Die. Repeat. Repeat.
What is it that draws us in to the time loop trope? It feels more relevant than ever, as many people work from home and struggle to see the differences between days. The timeline that the filmmakers created for Palm Springs has been a huge benefit. The movie eerily predicted what behavior patterns we will see in our real-life national timing loop. Andy Samberg’s character is lost without an anchor. Cristin Miliotti goes into workhorse mode and teaches herself complex quantum physics from a diner booth. J.K. Simmons then devolves into primal cruelty, not realizing the impact his actions have on others.
Time loops are not only appealing to those in a crisis of stay-at home, but also because they share the same themes that made Groundhog Day so beloved. Like Phil Conners’ drunken punksutawney neighbors, or the wedding guest at Palm Springs talking to Samberg’s Nyles, anyone outside of the loop can relate to the feeling that today is the same day as yesterday. Groundhog Day’s appeal as a script for Bill Murray was its portrayal of people’s fear and the way we choose to live our lives in order to avoid change. These themes were echoed in Russian Doll which, as a streaming series, allowed viewers to live the repetitive nature and ironically, the same technologies that have sped up our lives and made them feel more cyclical.
These themes aren’t the only ones behind all time-loop stories. Star Trek: Discovery’s first season used the trope to support villainous Harry Mudd’s schemes. The episode “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Mad” was a great example of this. In which the crew attempts to stop the ship from being destroyed, it is repeated. The “Eleventh Hour” episode of The Adventure Zone, an actual-play RPG podcast, features a time loop where characters must stop the destruction in a rural community. These stories, which often use shorter time loops to raise the stakes using a ticking clock and magnify one key relatable theme of the trope by repeating the same events until they are right, are a great example of how stories like this can be done.
This “getting it right” aspect to time loops appeals to everyone. We’re all familiar with the appeal of time loops that allow us to replay past mistakes or social interactions over and over, thinking about how we could have done things better. The time-loop concept gives us a wishful fulfillment fantasy that allows us to relive the experience as if it were actually happening. The moral lesson of “be careful what your wish for” is that sometimes it’s the characters trying to prevent a certain thing from happening that causes more disastrous results. Obsessing about a past event can lead to destruction. The goal should be to move forward.
These themes can be interrelated. Even though the stakes are lower, it’s possible that characters are most interested in improving their lives. Realistically, people who are stuck in a repetitive loop every day probably don’t think they have everything figured out. Instead, they do it because they believe that if they just keep at it, eventually it will all come together.
A time-loop story has the simple beauty that, in a world where everything remains static, only the characters can bring about change. Groundhog Day screenwriter Danny Rubin says that what begins as Phil’s worst day ends up being his best. It all depends on how Phil changes and how this affects his perception of the world. In Edge of Tomorrow, Tom Cruise’s character, while there’s a real alien threat, has transformed from a coward to escape conflict to rushing to danger and sacrificing himself for the sake of the world.
It’s easy for people to understand why time loops have become a subgenre. They are able to relate, fulfill darkened wishes, and focus on character development. These stories will continue to be told as the time goes on. It is almost certain. Or doesn’t.
