'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.

- NATHALIE TOMADA

For Marla Ancheta, director and writer of "One Hit Wonder," the film's biggest muse is music, especially the sound of the '90s, when rock bands were on the rise and the "banda music" of that time carried its own unique flavor.

"In choosing the era, that was the time na kakasikat pa lang ng mga bands. And we know that when we talk about OPM, the bands during the '90s were different. (The story) started from there and revolved around that," she shared.

What pushed her to write and direct the film was the idea of letting music carry the story — weaving in good songs with every scene. She drew inspiration from the soundtrack-driven storytelling of '90s Hollywood classics like "Empire Records" and "Reality Bites," as well as the iconic local teen film in the '80s, "Bagets."

In "One Hit Wonder," Khalil Ramos plays an aspiring artist determined to make it big with his band, Ang Banda ni Tessa. His performance here makes a strong case for more leading-man roles. Onscreen, his natural chemistry with Sue Ramirez shines, whether during their courtship banter and "telebabad" phone calls, or other scenes where he was making playlists the old-school way by recording songs off the radio onto cassette tapes. In a way, the film is a reminder of a time when getting to know someone took more effort — with no cellphones, Messenger, or Spotify to make things instant.

Sue, meanwhile, finally gets the spotlight she deserves, for her singing. She plays Lorina, a former kontesera who gave up on her dream after losing to a girl named Chona Velasquez (who would go on to become Asia's Songbird, Regine Velasquez). Now, Lorina experiences the highs and lows of fame as she works as a personal assistant to her younger cousin, Lyn-Lyn, a rising pop star played by Vivoree Esclito.