‘One Hit Wonder’ REVIEW: When Love Waits While Dreams Take Flight
‘One Hit Wonder’ REVIEW: When Love Waits While Dreams Take Flight
This review contains spoilers ahead.
Today, films that employ a huge chunk of nostalgic elements mostly fail to do so. They either do too much or do so little, but never anything in between. When doing so, almost all themes revolve around family relations, conflicts with their loved ones, or personal interrogation among the characters. Despite meaningful efforts, our audiences still yearn for the purity of time.
Directed by Marla Ancheta, One Hit Wonder is a romance-drama film that showcases Filipinos’ love for family and music. When nostalgia strikes, the element of time plays a crucial role in acknowledging the film’s setting and characters.
Entoy (Khalil Ramos) and Lorina (Sue Ramirez) in One Hit Wonder | Still courtesy of Netflix
I am a firm believer that nostalgia is one of the most challenging elements to incorporate into a film — it either completes it, or is set for another two-star, harsh review on Letterboxd. As someone who loves both film and music (and is definitely chronically online), the cast did not disappoint.
Sue Ramirez as Lorina Dominguez and Khalil Ramos as Entoy Mangarap’s chemistry propels their storyline into the realm of greater romance and passion. Both characters show the balance between knowing what you want, getting what you want, and doing what you want with the time you have. Ben (Romnick Sarmenta) and Carmen (Lilet Esteban) also depict how their unwavering support for their children, Entoy and Lorina, respectively, completes the course of success and happiness.
Besides the amazing cast and sentimental cinematography, the characters’ wardrobe choices make them more memorable as they stand out throughout the scenes. Lorina’s red bandana and Entoy’s checkered polos add warm touches of what it is like to be a teenager in the ‘90s, almost as if these are stories of the past. This goes hand-in-hand with the film’s cute doodles whenever Lorina and Entoy’s relationship progresses, or during scenes where their feelings for one another become more visible than words. Likewise, the film also slickly used split-screen sequences to highlight the absence of technology during their time – only home telephones for everyday conversations, slambooks as diaries, and cassette tapes for music.
Entoy (Khalil Ramos) and Lorina (Sue Ramirez) in One Hit Wonder | Still courtesy of Netflix
Consequently, in looking at the film’s characterization, Lorina and Entoy’s individuality speaks a lot throughout these emerging themes. Lorina is generally an obedient and young woman, living with her aunt and cousin, Jocelyn (Vivoree Esclito). She works at a record store in the morning and serves as Jocelyn’s personal assistant at night. Entoy, on the other hand, shines because of his laid-back attitude. His presence inside a household and with his friend group benefits his small band, Ang Banda ni Tessa: a music collective he named after his mother passed. Through his extroverted personality, he was able to easily catch up with Lorina’s interests, especially in their commonality, which is their love for music.
Throughout their relationship, Lorina’s stage fright from the beginning until the end of the film symbolizes an evident, but invisible barrier between the contrast of love and passion. Though Entoy’s determination is what made Lorina take a step back, they made sure to acknowledge each other’s fears, situations, and dreams at the same time.
Entoy’s flaming love for his band’s success mirrors Lorina’s flowing desire to finish her studies and be with her mother abroad. Unlike Cathy Garcia’s The Hows of Us, where both passion and love are built upon toxicity, One Hit Wonder approaches these themes with purity, desire, and compassion for both characters. Lorina and Entoy acknowledge their capabilities to reach what they have, especially in times when they know they have both ends.
Entoy (Khalil Ramos) in One Hit Wonder | Still courtesy of Netflix
Similarly, the difficulty of getting into a long-distance relationship during the ‘90s is not an option for the young couple. Through telephone conversations and written letters, they were able to indirectly let each other know that they were willing to wait for one another. Their intended patience morphs into traditional love built upon sincerity.
Truly, one can find the right one at the right time. As they all say, patience is a virtue, and determination is key. One Hit Wonder is a heartfelt film about young love and passion, as Entoy at Lorina drive through the wonders of both simultaneously. It is a reminder for different generations about what love can be made of in different timelines, as romance and fantasy come to life.
One Hit Wonder is available to stream on Netflix.
