Hedda Stiernstedt
Amelia
Overview
On her 40th birthday, Amelia makes a fateful wish to be 18 again back in 2002 but soon regrets it when she's stuck reliving the day over and over again.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readThe Nostalgia Loop: Why One More Time Feels Like a Song You’ve Heard Before
I’ve seen this movie before. Not One More Time specifically—though I have, twice now—but the shape of it, the way it moves. A woman wakes up in her teenage body, reliving the same day in 2002, her 40th birthday wish granted (or cursed) by some unseen force.
The premise is Groundhog Day meets 13 Going on 30, with a dash of Can’t Hardly Wait’s high school nostalgia. The problem isn’t that it’s unoriginal; it’s that it doesn’t seem to know what to do with its own borrowed energy.
That’s not to say there isn’t pleasure here. The film’s recreation of the early 2000s is meticulous, almost obsessive. The costumes—low-rise jeans, velour tracksuits, butterfly clips—are so period-accurate they border on parody.
The soundtrack is a time capsule of Swedish pop and international hits, the kind of music that defined a generation’s adolescence. For a certain audience, this will be catnip. I found myself smiling at the sight of a Nokia 3310, the way its tiny screen glowed in the dark like a relic from another life.
(I owned one. I remember the weight of it in my pocket.)
But nostalgia is a tricky thing. It can be a warm blanket or a straitjacket. One More Time leans heavily on the former, but it’s the latter that starts to chafe. The film’s emotional beats are so familiar they feel pre-programmed.
Amelia (Hedda Stiernstedt) regrets her life at 40—divorced, unfulfilled, disconnected from her best friend Fiona (Tove Edfeldt). When she’s given the chance to relive her 18th birthday, she’s supposed to learn something about herself, about the choices she made, about the people she left behind. The trouble is, the film never quite figures out what that lesson is.
Is it about the value of hindsight? The importance of friendship? The dangers of wishing your life away?
All of the above, probably, but the script (by Tove Forsman and Sofie Forsman) treats these themes like checkboxes to be ticked off rather than ideas to be explored.
Take the time-loop mechanic itself. It’s the engine of the story, but it’s also its biggest limitation. Amelia wakes up every morning in 2002, reliving the same day over and over, but the film doesn’t seem interested in the existential dread or dark comedy that usually comes with that territory.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.5/10
"A lighthearted Swedish comedy-drama with charm but lacks depth in its storytelling."
Viewers appreciate the film’s warm tone and the chemistry among the cast, particularly Hedda Stiernstedt’s performance, which adds a relatable energy. latestnetflix.com's read is that however, the plot feels thin and predictable, leaving some wanting more substance or originality in its romantic and comedic elements.
What viewers praise
- Engaging lead performance Hedda Stiernstedt’s portrayal resonates well, bringing authenticity and likability to her role.
- Pleasant tone The film’s lighthearted and warm atmosphere makes it an easy watch for fans of feel-good stories.
- Cast chemistry The interactions between the main cast members feel natural and add to the film’s appeal.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows familiar tropes without enough twists to stand out.
- Lacks depth Some viewers find the emotional and narrative layers too superficial for a drama.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting roles feel overshadowed and could have used more screen time or backstory.
Recommended for
Fans of Swedish comedies Lighthearted drama lovers Hedda Stiernstedt admirers Feel-good movie seekers
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsJonatan Etzler’s "One More Time" (2023): A Swedish Rom-Com with Mixed Buzz
Jonatan Etzler’s One More Time (2023) arrived on the Swedish film scene as a blend of comedy, drama, and romance, but early reactions suggest it’s a divisive watch. The 85-minute feature, starring Hedda Stiernstedt and Evelyn Mok, has sparked conversation—though not always for the reasons its creators might have hoped.
A Cast of Familiar Faces
The film assembles a mix of Swedish talent, including Vanna Rosenberg (Solsidan), Tove Edfeldt (The Crown), and Lo Kauppi (The Bridge). Stiernstedt, known for her role in Bonus Family, and Mok, a comedian and actress with a growing international profile, lead the ensemble. The supporting cast—Miriam Ingrid, David Tainton, Ahmed Berhan, Mira Eklund, and Edvard Olsson—rounds out the project, though details about their characters remain scarce.
With no official synopsis widely available, the film’s premise is still something of a mystery. However, its genre tags—comedy, drama, and romance—hint at a story likely centered on relationships, second chances, or personal reinvention, themes common in Scandinavian cinema.
Early Reviews: Polarizing Reception
The most concrete takeaway from early reactions is that One More Time has left audiences split. On SensCritique, the film holds a modest 4.5/10 rating based on 77 votes 
, a score that suggests lukewarm reception at best. For context, the same platform rates Etzler’s previous work, The Perfect Patient (2019), at 6.8/10, indicating a potential dip in critical or audience favor.
Rotten Tomatoes has yet to publish a critic score for the film, though its page exists . Without aggregated reviews, it’s unclear whether the movie will lean toward fresh or rotten—a silence that might be telling in itself. The lack of buzz on major review platforms could point to limited theatrical release or minimal festival exposure, though this remains unconfirmed.
Behind the Scenes: What We Know (and Don’t)
Details about the production are thin. One More Time was shot in Sweden, but specifics about filming locations, budget, or on-set dynamics haven’t surfaced in available snippets. Etzler, whose directorial credits include The Perfect Patient and The Third Wave, appears to be sticking to a mix of drama and lighter fare, though this film’s comedic elements seem to be a new addition to his repertoire.
Rumors about conflicts or creative differences during production are nonexistent in the evidence, so any speculation would be unfounded. Similarly, there’s no indication of whether the cast had prior relationships that influenced their chemistry on screen.
The Road Ahead: Will It Find an Audience?
With a runtime of just 85 minutes, One More Time is a brisk watch, but its brevity hasn’t translated to universal appeal. The film’s low rating on SensCritique suggests it may struggle to stand out in a crowded field of Scandinavian dramas and rom-coms. However, streaming platforms or international distribution could yet give it a second life.
For now, the movie remains a curiosity—a project with a talented cast and a director with a track record, but one that hasn’t quite clicked with audiences. Whether it’s a hidden gem or a misfire may depend on word of mouth, but early signs aren’t promising.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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