The Moment - Review
Charli XCX crucially isn’t afraid to laugh at herself which keeps The Moment at arms length and provides an agreeably silly time.
3.5/5
Brat summer has become a phenomenon of such a huge scale that it felt like the release of musician Charli XCX’s sixth album ‘brat’ redefined pop culture. Typically promoting a party girl aesthetic, short strappy vests, smoking countless cigarettes and doing cocaine in club toilets, it caught the zeitgeist and felt immortal and undying for a legion of fans for a moment. But everything has an expiry date and outspoken cinephile Charli XCX’s The Moment decides to poke fun of her stratospheric recent success as she transitions into a different and perhaps more movie focused period of her career. The film never takes itself seriously and is a largely funny and smartly directed good time with some sly insight into mega fame.
Playing an exaggerated and brattier (har har) version of herself Charli XCX is fresh off brat summer about to go on a giant arena world tour. In between planning the live shows she is accosted by countless media people, fans and studio executives all wanting something from her or advising her to do something to keep this momentum going. Charli is constantly overwhelmed and pissed off at her bumbling manager Tim (Jamie Demetriou) especially when he organises a creative meeting with a soulless concert film sellout director Johannes (Alexander Skarsgård) who wants to direct the tour for Amazon music. There is a constant pressure throughout relating to artistic license and how performers balance their art and creative morality. Maybe it would just be easier for Charli to accept Johannes’s changes and fly around the stage attached to a harness but this isn’t what brat is all about. Her friend and creative director Celeste (Hailey Gates) understands Charli’s clubesque arena vision but tensions between both her and Johannes cause disaster and mounting, uncontrollable stress. Think a tamer Black Swan only instead of ballet we’re body popping in a dark room full of neon green flashing lights.
While aiming for the type of anxiety cinema à la Safdie the film doesn’t quite reach the heart attack heights of Marty Supreme but it does always remain at arms length stressful. Despite the free all inclusive spa trips and unlimited access to almost everything Charli wants, the film impressively and claustrophobically presents fame in its most toxic and overwhelming light. Director Aidan Zamiri who has directed two of Charli’s most successful music videos smartly shoots most scenes as if we are watching a documentary. In a way this is a mockumentary and he understands that these The Office style quick zooms on the baffled entourages that engulf Charli works both on a comedic and naturalistic character level. There are celebrity cameos aplenty and to the film’s credit it does feel like we’re watching a week in the life of one of the world’s biggest stars without feeling indulgent.
Charli XCX can handle herself as an actor and she adds a personal layer which makes the film more believable but it is Skarsgård who steals the show. The strokes of his egotistic and morally bankrupt Johannes are broad but he is having such a good time and provides irresistible, ridiculous humour nearly every time he’s on screen. Occasionally the structure is unfocused and there is a lack of a clear narrative, the film is made up of moments akin to the title which hammers home this point of capitalist entertainment regurgitation and preservation. While the commentary isn’t subtle this proves that Charli XCX is serious about her film career and is willing to make something that aims and mostly succeeds at being transgressive.
Despite not always working Charli and her crew have admirably destroyed brat summer and moved onto a new, maybe even more fulfilling moment. Hello Takashi Miike autumn.
Seen on 26/2/26 at Odeon Brighton.