- The film is based on a 2018 short film Palm Trees and Power Lines by Jamie Dack.
- Jamie Dack was inspired to expand her short film to a feature when the MeToo movement prompted her to reevaluate a relationship she had as a teenager.
- Before Jonathan Tucker was cast, multiple actors passed on the role of Tom, citing their discomfort with playing a predator.
- The film took nine months to find distribution after its 2022 Sundance Film Festival premiere because of its controversial subject matter, as well as the festival taking place virtually due to the COVID surge.
- The film had its world premiere at the 38th Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2022, where Dack won the U.S. Dramatic Competition Directing Award. Palm Trees and Power Lines was released in limited theaters and on VOD on March 3, 2023, by Momentum Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics and earned four nominations at the 38th Independent Spirit Awards, including Best First Feature.