No Hit Wonder: Dark Comedy & Healing Through Song

by Anna Wollner

“Mr. Nowack, is it annoying to be famous because of a song?”
“I can ask the same question: Is it actually annoying to keep asking the same question.”

Movie scene

It’s a question that Daniel Nowack can no longer hear. A single number one hit with “Time Time Time” what felt like an eternity ago, a gold record, filled concert halls – now he’s at the bottom, not even the jungle camp wants him. To do this, he stands on a makeshift stage at hardware store openings and ingratiates himself with walk-in customers. Daniel Nowack is so depressed about his life that he wants to say goodbye with a big bang. But he doesn’t even succeed in attempting suicide.

A choir project as a win-win situation

In the psychiatric ward he meets the doctoral student Lissi, who is forced to empty bedpans, but is actually called to something higher – if it would finally work out with the financing of her next research project. Her plan: She wants to win Daniel Nowack for her choir project. Singing with patients in the closed ward. A win-win situation for both sides – actually:

“I have an offer for you: Help me make people happy and I’ll help you out of here.”
“You haven’t told me what you’re doing yet.”
“We sing: A cuckoo sat on a tree.

Movie scene

What still sounds wrong here will soon be straightened out a bit. About Daniel and Lissy, who keep clashing in their work. But in doing so, we become better, happier people.

Perfect roles for Florian David Fitz and Nora Tschirner

Florian David Fitz wrote the role of Daniel Nowack himself, including his one-hit wonder “Time Time Time”. As the opposite pole in this darkly humorous feel-good comedy, Nora Tschirner plays Lissy with her usual brittle snotty and defiance. As is often the case, she is the perfect choice for her role because her acting intellect brings the necessary depth.

“No Hit Wonder” does not reinvent the wheel of the choral film, but for once the predictability of the story is not a weakness, but rather the opportunity to fully concentrate on singing and the happiness that comes from it. Because as with music and in life, or rather in films, both have one thing in common: There are ups and downs that people can overcome either alone or together. Singing together, suffering together or becoming happy together – this applies to the choir and the cinema audience in the case of “No Hit Wonder” with its biting wit and many singing moments.

No Hit Wonder

Genre:

Drama

comedy

Year of production:

2025

Country of production:

Deutschland

Additional info:

with Florian David Fitz, Nora Tschirner, Jasmin Shakeri and others

Director:

Florian Dietrich

Long:

118 minutes

Age recommendation:

from 12 years

Cinema release:

30 October 2025