One More Time

I wouldn't say I was excited to watch this because we know how all time travel and time loop movies go. Similar to Groundhog Day Amelia, a 40 something woman, who's quite a loser, relives her 18th birthday day after day. And while it's fun, she realises that life at 18 is really self centered.

Although the movie is predictable, its beautiful to see the different interactions of the characters, all while realising that it's not about her. It's the nuances that do it for me. The story of rekindling relationships, of starting again even if it's 22 years later or having a second chance to do things right.

I randomly came across this movie and thought I'd give it a chance. I usually don't have high hopes for these types of movies, they're more of just something to throw on. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The nostalgia was so fun to watch. I'm 32 so I grew up around the same time. The set design, costumes, hair and makeup, music choices, etc. Were really well done. Took me back in time! The story also had me reflecting on my past and things I could relate to growing up as well as now. Pulled at the heart strings for sure, but had silly moments too. I would recommend it, also recommend watching it in the original language not dubbed.

We love time loop type movies and were leery of the ratings in the 5's. However we took a chance and quite enjoyed the film. Funny, and with a heart.

To get to the minimum number of characters I'll again say don't believe the bad reviews. Similar to Groundhog day and even has a clip from that movie. The main character evolves like Bill does, day after day.

I also like that at least some of the characters look like real people and not your typical pretty/handsome movie characters - though there's plenty of that too I suppose. But the best friend is a big girl which you don't see that often.

So - do watch it!

First, you need to know that this whole thing wraps up in a lesbian love story. Getting so tired of Netflix suggesting movies to me as "romance" but isn't what I am looking for. They need to have separate section for that. That being said this movie is objectively bad on its own.

The movie straight up rips off peggy sue got married / groundhog day. Amelia is 40 today. Her life is a mess. She works retail and is poor. Sitting at a bar after being fired from her retail job she runs into Fiona... a former childhood friend with the same birthday who is a successful rich singer. This leads Amelia to head to a time capsule both had buried when they were like 10 - where she is hit by a truck and ends up on her 18th birthday -- which forms a time loop she can't escape.

Amelia is a horrible person. Rude to her friends even as a mature adult. Not great to her parents. In fact when she realizes (after watching groundhog day) that she needs to be nicer to people... she does that for one day and that is it. The rest of the time she acts like an idiot.

Amelia finally gets out of the time loop after realizing Fiona was in love with her at 10. And she heads off to get right with that in present day. What? What? As if that is going to make everything wonderful? Huh? Of course Fiona has never given up on her 10 year old love and now they are all set.

This whole thing doesn't make a lick of sense.

On her 40th birthday, Amelia is hit by a bus and wakes up in her bed to her parents singing "Happy Birthday". She reluctantly realises that she is 18 again and that the year is 2002. Her best friend Moa is throwing a party for Amelia, who turns out to be the popular hot girl ("every boy in school is in love with you" as one of them shyly tells her). In her 2024 (?) life not so much, she is bored, alone and feels lost in her adulthood. However, Amelia has to relive her 18th birthday over and over again with slight variations - in a very well known manner. (Plus: the movie has a few peculiar resemblances to Mårlind and Steins sadly underrated "Storm" (2005), more on that below.)

Nice story, nice acting, nice setting and costume (pink and pastels in abundance), nice 2002 markers, "nice" everything. The soundtrack is nice too. You get it.

"One More Time" could've been a complete disaster, painfully drowning in niceness - if it weren't for one thing: Hedda Stiernstedt in the lead, as Amelia. She alone carries the movie on her shoulders and makes it quite watchable, albeit immensely predictable. Stiernstedt is an absolutely perfect cast for this role, even at 35 she has the youthful look that actually works ... with just a grain of suspension of disbelief.

Well, the story is... nice, and keeps rolling in well-familiar tracks. If it's worth your time depends on how much you are into feel-good coming-of-age romantic drama, and how much pink/pastels your eyes can stand. And yes, if you are a fan of Teddybears Sthlm (I am!) it helps, too.

With that said, it wouldn't hurt if Netflix levels up the request for writing skills, just a tad or so.

Similarities to "Storm"? A certain kind of accident in key scenes, and moreover: the answer is hidden in a secret box. Yup.