‘One Hit Wonder’: A charming love story set to the beat of the ‘90s
A feel-good story about chasing dreams and finding love in the ‘90s — told through the hits of that era — is now playing on Netflix.
Titled “One Hit Wonder,” it finds its muse primarily in the ‘90s band scene, said writer and director Marla Ancheta. “In choosing the era, ‘yun yung time na kakasikat pa lang ng mga (rock) bands. And we know that when we talk about OPM, the bands during the ‘90s were different,” she told The STAR during a press junket.
Inspired by soundtrack-heavy Hollywood films like “Empire Records,” “Reality Bites,” and even the local ‘80s classic “Bagets,” she wove songs (from Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Yano, Teeth, Hungry Young Poets, etc.) into scenes to drive the story. Direk Marla also co-wrote three original tracks — Wasak, Tropa, Hindi Ako Susuko Sayo — with Paulo Zarate.
“One Hit Wonder” opens in the ’80s with Sue Ramirez as Lorina, bungling a singing competition on national TV and losing to a girl named Chona Velasquez (who would later become OPM queen Regine Velasquez). What was a disastrous day for her, however, became an unforgettable one for Khalil Ramos’ character, Entoy, who developed a crush that lingered through the years.
Fast-forward to the early ‘90s: Entoy is now an aspiring artist determined to make it big with his own band, Ang Banda ni Tessa. He accidentally reconnects with Lorina, who stays on the periphery of music as a personal assistant to her younger cousin — rising pop star Jocelyn played by Vivoree Esclito — while also working at a record store. Entoy gets closer to Lorina by inviting her to become part of his band, and together they start making dreams as bandmates and also as young lovers. However, reality sets in and they are forced to confront whether they are truly in sync and want the same thing — or not.
Must say that with this film, Sue finally gets the spotlight she deserves for her singing. Khalil’s performance here makes a strong case for more leading-man roles. Onscreen, their chemistry shines whether during their jam sessions, flirty banter, telebabad phone calls or other scenes where he was courting, ‘90s style, like putting together a playlist by recording songs off the radio onto cassette tapes. Quite the reminder of a time when getting to know someone took more effort because there were no cellphones, Messenger or Spotify to make things instant.
Overall, the film is well-acted and tightly helmed, moving across timelines with details that don’t just recreate those days gone by, but make you feel them again. For those who grew up in that decade, it feels like a time machine. For Gen Z audiences, it doubles as a crash course on ‘90s pop culture and everyday life. Add in the cameos — from ‘90s rock idols to “That’s Entertainment” stars — and it delivers solid surprises
A charmer of a film, “One Hit Wonder” is a recommended watch. Any narrative loopholes are small enough to overlook. What’s worth noting, though, is how each of the lead stars comes with a musical background that audiences may not be aware of, which adds a layer of sincerity to this story.
Here are thoughts of the cast, including Gladys Reyes who plays the mom of Vivoree in this film, about their relationship with music and why they said yes to the film:
Khalil: “I have always been fascinated about the era of bands in the ‘90s and when it was pitched to me, when I read the script, it was an opportunity to live in that era. So yun palang nagustuhan ko na ‘cause I myself, even though I was born in the late ‘90s, 1996, I listen to a lot of music from that era. Yun yung kinalakihan ko. So to be able to see it from the lens of direk Marla who had been working in the ‘90s — ‘di ba mga music videos direk? — now I know. It became my experience while shooting it. I was like in an alternate reality where Khalil was a ‘90s kid.
“Grabe ang music and the impact that it's made in my life. Growing up, music was always present at home. My dad is a huge audiophile. When I was a kid, our form of bonding was setting up speakers and tinkering with amplifiers. Literal na may soundtrack talaga yung per phase in my life. It’s made me who I am, I guess.”
Sue: “I said yes when I knew it was direk Marla. I worked with her before (‘Finding Agnes’) and her team, I know what they were capable of doing. Also another big yes because I was going to work with Khalil na ang tagal ko na rin inaantay na magka-work kami ulit. Parang, hindi niyo ba kami napanood dati? Ba’t walang kumukuha sa amin? That was what I was most excited about.
“Of course, I auditioned to be a singer, not an actress actually, so this is a great movie to showcase that side of me. Some people don’t know that I can sing and thank you direk for the chance to show that. And of course, this is Netflix… It was never going to be a no.
“I've been singing since I can remember, literally. Maybe from when I was born. Talagang inire ako ng nanay ko na kumakanta na ako (laughs). That's what they always told me when I was growing up. I love holding the mic, I love doing videoke, I love listening to music. My dad also used to let me watch musicals like ‘Sound of Music,’ ‘Mamma Mia.’ I grew up watching all those plays turned into films. Music has a huge influence on me. It’s really part of my everyday life. Music keeps me going. It's my first love.”
Vivoree: “Music, as direk Marla said, really unites everyone. And music has always been a big part of me since I’ve been joining singing competitions. But there was a time I got discouraged. Short story, I got discouraged from joining singing contests because before, I was always No. 1, always winning. Then we had a transferee in grade school and started winning, so I stopped singing back in (my hometown Bohol). I was like Lorina in that sense.
“But music really means a lot to me. It's really a big factor in boosting my emotions when I’m sad or happy. I have playlists with different personalities — like for example, Jocelyn’s character, I have a playlist for her. Even for my other characters, I really make playlists. Sobrang laking factor talaga sakin yung music.”
Gladys: “I don’t sing here but I really just love it. I’m not a professional singer but I really enjoy singing videoke. It’s my stress buster. Other people go shopping, but that’s expensive, so for me it’s videoke at home. I sing with my kids, even with my youngest, it’s part of our family bonding. So I guess that’s one reason why music has really become a part of our family.
“My eldest, Christophe, is the only one who became a professional musician. I think that’s a big influence from his father, my husband Christopher. With that, even the kids’ song choices are more old school because they hear it from us. Their choices are even older — Beatles, Queen, songs like that. They know them, even if they’re really old songs, and they appreciate them more than today’s modern songs. And I’m happy as a parent seeing how big a part music plays in our family. It keeps us bonded.”
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