One Hit Wonder Review
Director: Marla Ancheta
Date Created: 2025-08-21 20:54
2.5
One Hit Wonder Review: Directed and written by Marla Ancheta, and toplined by Sue Ramirez and Khalil Ramos. The film also features Lilet Esteban, Gladys Reyes, Romnick Sarmenta, Vivoree, and Matt Lozano. With a running time of 112 minutes, this Netflix’s Filipino romantic musical movie brings us back to the technicolor world of the 1990s Original Pilipino Music (OPM) craze, where do-overs, love, and grit are the name of the game.
One Hit Wonder Review
Netflix’s One Hit Wonder is a tale of two dreamers. Lorina played by Sue Ramirez, is fighting her demons and her father’s expectations. Entoy played by Khalil Ramos, holds onto music as a way of holding on to the memory of his recently deceased mother. Theirs is a struggle which becomes a quest wherein music, love, and personal issues intersect. The setup of two lost souls finding strength in each other is warm and positive and guarantees a warm movie. Sadly, while the setup is good, the way it is handled too often is unbalanced and sometimes confusing.
The performances however, are worth mentioning. Sue Ramirez gives Lorina a gentle vulnerability, so one finds oneself believing along with her even when the script itself does not necessarily make one believe in her character development. Khalil Ramos is gentle and genuine as Entoy, and is the more sympathetic and credible of the two leads. Their chemistry on screen is sometimes compelling, but sometimes forced, as if the romance itself was developed too fast rather than given space to breathe and develop organically. A film so fixated on music and love should make its lead couple develop deep, but with this one gets the feeling that this connection does not quite work.
Maybe the best part of One Hit Wonder movie is its soundtrack. Set against the 90s OPM backdrop, the songs are given a period flavour that will be savoured by music buffs of Filipino films. Some of the musical numbers are actually sob-inducing and bear testament to the emotional grip of the story. But ah well, the movie does not give its musical aspect the forefront that I would have wanted. Instead, the romance takes centre stage, much to the loss of the chance to develop the life of being a musician during that time. For a film named One Hit Wonder, I expected music to take the lead role, yet it often plays second fiddle.
The rhythm and storytelling are also where the film goes wrong. The film sets up its world and core conflicts just enough in the first half, but then loses its way. Some of the plot threads flash by, and some are left unresolved. Lorina’s internal struggle between music and another career can be fleshed out further. Her choices instead feel abrupt and sometimes illogical, taking away from the impact of her journey. Meanwhile, the career success of Entoy comes a bit too neatly, so that one can’t believe the struggles that artists would otherwise need to endure. The outcome is a story that’s ever so slightly askew.
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In the end, Filipino movie One Hit Wonder tries to tie loose ends for hope and optimism. Lorina gets her voice back, Entoy is acknowledged, and love seems to be on top towards the end. It’s a cheesy ending, and I like the attempt at making people smile. But I couldn’t help but feel that the ending was wrapped too conveniently and in a rush. Instead of offering a clean solution to the root issues, the movie rushes through its final scenes to leave people with a sense of incompleteness.
In spite of all its flaws, there are scenes from the movie that I liked. The 90s OPM feel lends the movie a certain flavour that makes it stand out from the rest of the rom-coms. There are moments where the music and the emotions merge so well that I was reminded of the magic of Filipino music. The cast also deserves credit for pulling their weight for a script that does not always do justice to them. For me alone, these aspects made the movie One Hit Wonder worth watching, if not more, although it did not leave a lasting impression. The movie is of its time, and it beams in the very flaws that make it lovable.
Along the way, I also couldn’t help but recall what didn’t impress. The uneven rhythm, the underdeveloped subplots, and the stilted dialogues at times pulled me out of the film more than once. The romance, the highlight of it, sometimes became too corny and could have been better balanced with the musical sojourn. And the hasty climax left me yearning for a richer and more layered one.
Netflix One Hit Wonder Review: Summing Up
Overall, it’s a movie whose heart is in the right place but whose narrative is not always in the right key. If you’re a Filipino movie buff and you’re in the mood for some 90s OPM throwback, this might be a one-time watch. But if you’re in the mood for a decent romance or music-driven drama that will linger long after the credits roll, this one might just disappoint.
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