Pop star Charli XCX's new meta-mockumentary, 'The Moment,' delves into the overwhelming success and industry pressures following her 'Brat' album. While visually striking and conceptually ambitious, the film is critiqued for its shallow satire, muddled themes, and a perceived lack of risk, ultimately asking profound questions without offering answers.
In April 2025, pop singer Charli XCX reflected on the immense success and personal impact of her album 'Brat,' expressing a fascination with 'the tension of staying too long' in the spotlight. This ambivalence forms the core of 'The Moment,' a visually hypnotic yet critically shallow meta-mockumentary conceived by Charli and directed by Aidan Zamiri. The film, which premiered at Sundance, assumes a high level of fan familiarity with the 'Brat' era, satirizing the music industry's pressures from the top. More akin to a 'Black Swan'-style psychological drama than a traditional mockumentary, 'The Moment' portrays a more volatile and insecure version of Charli XCX as she navigates the demands of her 'Brat' tour. Her world is populated by cuttingly demeaning promotional activities and a cast of industry archetypes, from fawning assistants and feckless managers to money-hungry record label executives and a tyrannical boss. The narrative highlights the struggle between Charli's artistic vision, championed by her creative head Celeste, and the commercial compromises pushed by figures like the cartoonishly self-important director Johannes Godwin, hired to create a lucrative Amazon concert film. Despite its noble, against-the-grain elements—including a warm, over-saturated aesthetic, dynamic verité cinematography, and a jagged score by AG Cook—the film is criticized for its lack of risk. The satire is described as 'defanged,' the thematic sprawl 'muddled,' and the humor often falls flat, with Charli's performance sometimes appearing 'mechanical' outside of moments of quiet vulnerability. While 'The Moment' commendably raises questions about maintaining humanity and artistic integrity amidst overwhelming fame, it ultimately feels satisfied merely posing these questions rather than exploring them deeply. The film screened at Sundance and is set for theatrical release on January 30.
