Movie Review
Pop star Charli XCX seizes 'The Moment' in new mockumentary
Charli XCX in The Moment.
There have been plenty of music documentaries and biopics that show how the life of a music star can be a trying one, with fans, record label executives, and hangers-on all wanting a piece of a certain singer or band. Charli XCX knows the pressures as well as anyone thanks to back-to-back hit albums, but instead of addressing her life with a self-aggrandizing promo film, she’s gone the unexpected route with the mockumentary, The Moment.
The singer plays a fictionalized version of herself who’s coming off of “Brat Summer,” a cultural phenomenon that followed the release of her 2024 album, Brat. In addition to a planned tour, she and her team are trying to come up with other ways to capitalize on the moment, ideas that sometimes include her input and sometimes don’t. The one that becomes the driving force of the story is a concert film that will be directed by the in-demand filmmaker Johannes (Alexander Skarsgård).
Even though Charli XCX had already planned out the visuals, props, and other elements of the tour with good friend Celeste (Hailey Gates), Johannes slowly but surely pushes his ideas to be used instead. As that part of her life starts to slip from her grasp, she starts to lose it in general, agreeing to endorse a Brat-themed credit card, taking an ill-advised spa trip to Ibiza, and more.
Written and directed by Aidan Zamiri (who’s directed two Charli XCX music videos) and co-written by Bertie Brandes, the film should in no way, shape, or form be interpreted as giving viewers an accurate idea of who the singer really is. Aside from the presence of well-known actors like Skarsgård and Rosanna Arquette and comedic actors like Kate Berlant and Jamie Demetriou, everything in the film is heightened sufficiently to understand it shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Still, it’s clear that fans of Charli XCX or those who participated in Brat Summer will be more invested in the film than others. Knowing that Rachel Sennott’s cameo likely stems from their friendship following Charli XCX doing the score for Sennott’s film, Bottoms, or that she enjoyed early fame from the inclusion of her song, “Boom Clap,” in “a movie about two kids with cancer,” as her character puts it, adds some depth to the film.
One of the funniest things about the film is the lack of a showcase of Charli XCX’s music. She doesn’t sing a single note in the entire film, and any songs of hers that are heard are incidental to the story. There is, however, a ton of oppressive flashing titles and frenetic imagery during the various transitions in the film. If you are even slightly affected by rapid lights and/or movement, it might be best to avoid the film entirely.
As George Clooney can attest from Jay Kelly, it’s more difficult to play a version of yourself than you might think, and Charli XCX deserves credit for playing into rumors of her “bitchiness” in this film. Upcoming roles in other films will prove whether she’s truly a good actress or not, but she has a presence that serves this movie well. Skarsgård, who seems to be having a moment of his own in the real world, is the clear winner for best supporting actor of the film, scoring in almost every scene he’s in.
The Moment may not be as effective a mockumentary as something like This is Spinal Tap, but it still has enough memorable moments to make it worth seeing for both fans and non-fans alike. If that’s not enough Charli XCX for you, she’s also created the soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, which will be in theaters on February 13.
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The Moment opens wide in theaters on February 6.
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