Omni Loop
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Reviews
Do you ever see a trailer for a film, and see who the actors are, and what the plot is, and think ‘how did I miss this?’ That’s how I feel about Omni Loop, a film we watched last night (via AppleTV+). Mary-Louise Parker (of Fried Greed Tomatoes and Weeds fame) and Ayo Edibiri (of The Bear fame) are the stars, with Parker in the main role. (Other cameos include the guy who played Tag on Friends, and the guy who played the Vigo, the ghost in the painting in Ghostbusters II.)
Parker’s character Zoya is in a time loop of her own making. She wakes up in hospital after a diagnosis of a black hole in her chest, which is expected to take her life in less than a week. This is a world similar to but not quite like ours, in that black holes (yes, the type you’re thinking of) are prevalent enough that there are pamphlets about them that doctors give to patients. There’s also the ‘nanoman,’ who was shrunk and keeps shrinking, though he doesn’t feature as prominently.
Zoya keeps reliving these five days, then, at a surprise birthday gathering for her (a couple of weeks before her birthday), she always gets a nose bleed. She takes a pill that she has hidden in her closet, and then wakes up in hospital again. Everything is the same every time – you’re familiar with how this goes for a bit if you’re ever seen Groundhog Day or Palm Springs. But one time, during a visit to her mother at a care home, Zoya literally bumps into Edibiri’s character Paula, who happens to be holding one of the science textbooks Zoya authored.
Things progress from there, with Zoya and Paula working together to try to figure out the pills in an attempt to save Zoya, but I won’t spoil the specifics. What I will say is that the plot points about time travel and black holes and such aren’t really … important. They are, in that they keep the film going, and give our protagonists a purpose, but the film isn’t about the science of time travel. It’s about how one views one’s life, one’s relationships, and what one would do to have more time. Does the amount of time matter if the quality is shit? What do you miss while looking for answers to other problems? What about regrets – do they matter, or do they make us who we are?
I was surprised by the movie. I very much enjoyed it, especially the last third. The very last minute or so is a bit of a coda, and unnecessary in my opinion, but it doesn’t ruin the film or anything like that. I’d recommend for those in the mood for a film with a fairly absurd premise but a lot of heart.
