Upamanyu Biswas
The Netflix musical comedy movie, ‘Technoboys,’ follows members of a formerly successful boyband named the Technoboys who get back together 20 years after topping the charts during their peak years. However, the world of pop has rapidly changed since their heydays, forcing the group to confront challenges unlike any before. The movie juggles the crew’s brushes with cancel culture, the pressures of social media, past relationships, and also the re-emergence of their techno-merengue rivals, The Spicy Roots. Meanwhile, the lead vocalist, Alan, has an ulterior agenda for reuniting the band again.
Under the direction of Gerardo Gatica González and Luis Gerardo Méndez, the movie explores the nostalgia of early pop music and the risks of returning to a bygone era. Each member must navigate the perils of living up to an old image that no longer exists while acclimatizing to a world with new standards and ideals. As such, the film deals with themes of identity and how the group has to surmount the obstacles of feeling lost amidst their return to the limelight. Additionally, with the focus lying heavily on the Technoboys, questions are raised regarding the real-life basis for the once-successful boyband and whether the film itself is based on a true story.
Technoboys is a Marriage Between Absurd Comedy and a Tale of Waning Stardom
‘Technoboys’ is a fictional story written by Alexandro Aldrete and directed by Gerardo Gatica González and debut director Luis Gerardo Méndez, who also stars as the lead vocalist, Alan. The movie delves into an elevated drama rife with style, panache, and comedy, centered on a desperate singer’s obsession with bringing his once-great band back together. However, on their journey, the crew faces a multitude of problems while coming to terms with the recent paradigm shifts in society. The movie takes a satirical approach in highlighting the real-life trappings of social media, cancel culture, the cutthroat competition in the music business, and managing one’s brand in a hyper-aware culture and population.
The project presented a new challenge for actor and co-director Luis Gerardo Méndez, who stepped behind the camera for his first directorial credit. Méndez told Netflix, “Ever since my first movie 20 years ago, I was deeply curious about being on the other side of the camera. From the moment I first read Technoboys, I knew I could tell this story and that we had the perfect team to put it on the screen.” The filmmaker also stated that the movie was a “crazy comedy,” which is reflected even further in its absurd and whimsical tone. It can be seen as a representation of the larger-than-life personalities operating in the music business. That attitude is personified in lead vocalist Alan, whose ego pushes him to reunite the Technoboys and jump back into the pop music scene.
However, the group’s problems mainly revolve around living up to the standards of a more sensitive world, as they often make a fool of themselves through the media or online. The gathering tide of public opinion surrounding celebrity culture is reflected in several scenes and is a pivotal part of the underlying tension that Alan and his music band have to navigate. For Gabriel Gatica, coming up with the story of ‘Technoboys’ was a long process that needed collaboration between the writer, directors, and producers. “We spent many years dreaming up and developing a story hand-in-hand with Alexandro Aldrete and Gabriel Nuncio, and I couldn’t be more excited or more grateful with the wonderful team at Netflix for putting their trust in us to bring this movie to millions of people worldwide,” he said.
Technoboys: A Fading Pop Band of Yesteryears With No Ties to Reality
Just like the story itself, the Technoboys group is a fictional creation of writer Alexandro Aldrete, who conceived the music crew while penning the screenplay. In the movie, the Technoboys are an iconic band from the 1990s who were chart-toppers for several years under the tutelage of Masiosare Mendoza. They are purported to be hugely popular across several Latin American countries and were seen as a legendary force within the industry. However, following an off-stage debacle concerning the lead singer, Alan, the band’s popularity and image plummeted in the public eye, and so did their songs. Eventually, Masiosare, their benefactor, stopped representing the group, and the crew had to be disbanded, with Alan planning to strike out on his own.
Although the Technoboys may be fictional, a Japanese techno-pop group known as Technoboys Pulcraft Green-Fund can be traced to reality. Formed in 1994, the group has several releases, including two studio albums, three singles, and a mini-album that was released in 2019. The two share similar names; however, the Technoboys in the movie are based in Mexico and primarily perform Spanish songs, which separates them from the Japanese group. Ultimately, it is likely that Alexandro Aldrete wanted to pursue his own narrative with a made-up music group. As such, he probably did not wish to rely on any ties to pre-existing real-life bands, thereby allowing him to make creative decisions with a sense of liberty. Therefore, the group is mainly a fictional band with no connection to reality.
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