Charli XCX’s self-teasing mockumentary ‘The Moment’ fends off an endless Brat summer

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Charli XCX’s mockumentary, “The Moment,” is a darkly funny satire that feels unsettlingly real. It explores the harsh realities of being a pop star – constantly facing criticism, demanding managers, and people who just want to exploit her fame. She portrays the draining effect of constant attention and the pressure to stay relevant, especially when at her peak, like during the height of her “brat summer” era. The film ultimately captures her desire to escape that exhausting cycle, embracing a kind of rebellious freedom. It’s a statement about letting go of the old and welcoming something new – “The brat is dead, long live the brat!”

If you know Charli XCX only from her vibrant aesthetic and a viral tweet calling Kamala Harris “brat,” you’re not alone – about one in five Americans saw that tweet! Born Charlotte Aitchison in England in 1992, she’s a remarkably talented singer-songwriter who started her career independently on MySpace at just 14 years old. She was playing live shows at dance parties soon after. In fact, journalists were playfully commenting on her pursuit of fame over a decade ago, feeling it was taking a while because she began so young.

It’s helpful to know this background when watching “The Moment,” a film co-written by Bertie Brandes and directed by Aidan Zamiri. The movie focuses on Charli XCX, and a key line – “I’ve spent my whole life trying to get approval” – feels like a very honest self-assessment. Charli XCX is credited with contributing to the story, and she isn’t seeking sympathy. She seems happy to be the focus, even though it means she’s becoming somewhat lost behind the persona of “Brat” – a tired performer constantly surrounded and controlled by managers and assistants who are only focused on profit.

Her creative director, Celeste (played by Hailey Benton Gates), thinks her current project should be scrapped. But the tour documentary’s director, Johannes (Alexander Skarsgård), wants to keep it going. She’s caught between their conflicting advice – who should she listen to?

Entertainment & Arts

Charli XCX is known for dramatically dismantling the “Brat” set piece on her recent tour. She ripped it down during her show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center just four minutes in, and later simulated burning it at Glastonbury. At Glastonbury, she finished the performance with a message on screen: “I don’t know who I am if it’s over.”

She’s definitely aware of the situation. Currently working as an actor, she’s appeared in seven films over the past two years – mostly small roles, but she’s showing real promise. Her biggest part yet is in “The Moment,” and it’s also her most challenging. She’s essentially playing a version of herself – a flawed and impulsive character embodying all the mistakes she’s striving to avoid.

I was really struck by how this film captures the weirdness of modern fame – it reminded me of ‘This is Spinal Tap,’ but for today’s obsessive fan culture. It’s fascinating and uncomfortable to watch her navigate these extreme situations. One moment she’s reeling from a fan’s intense confession, the next she’s getting brutally honest feedback on her own music videos. There’s just so much chaos around her that it’s like she can’t even connect with what’s right. And honestly, agreeing to put her name on that credit card felt way more dangerous than any of her performances – it really exposed her to a whole new level of risk.

Many pop stars who try to become actors ultimately fail. Today’s female artists are expected to constantly perform, even sharing extremely personal moments online, like their skincare routines. Charli XCX stands out because she seems to be analyzing the bizarre nature of fame while living it. For example, she did a segment for Vogue called “In the Bag,” where celebrities typically promote beauty products, but she unexpectedly pulled out a banana. She revisited this concept in “The Moment,” but this time she was genuinely surprised by what her team had put in her purse.

Zamiri’s film uses vibrant, flashing lights, reminiscent of concert visuals, to show how both exciting and overwhelming fame can be. The film isn’t a traditional documentary, employing numerous camera angles, but Zamiri anticipates this criticism by featuring recognizable actors playing everyday roles – Kate Berlant as a makeup artist and Rosanna Arquette as a demanding record executive. Skarsgård delivers a particularly strong performance as someone who exploits artists, pushing for a sanitized, family-friendly image of fame, exemplified by a scene where Charli XCX is suspended on wires, appearing visibly unhappy.

Movies

While many at the Park City festival enjoy a sense of nostalgia, the first weekend also features challenging and thought-provoking films like Casper Kelly’s “Buddy” and Charli XCX’s “The Moment.”

The only moment the movie’s attempt at a fake documentary feels genuine is when Rachel Sennott, playing herself, wonders if Charli XCX is pulling a Joaquin Phoenix. She’s referencing Phoenix’s 2010 film, “I’m Still Here,” where he deliberately created a public persona shift to convince everyone he was becoming a rapper, a move that risked his career. Phoenix had a valid reason for his behavior: he was frustrated by insensitive questions from the press about his late brother, River, and generally preferred the focus to be on his work rather than his personal life.

Charli XCX enjoys both the creative process and being in the public eye, so she often playfully pokes fun at herself in her work. This is evident in her album titles – the remix album was called “Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat,” and the expanded version was titled “Brat and It’s the Same but There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not.”

Zamiri likely gained the trust needed for this project because he’d previously directed two music videos for the artist, both of which playfully challenged her public image. One video depicted a playful song about lingerie as an over-the-top disaster film, complete with flying underwear. The other featured Charli XCX dancing freely while playfully spilling red wine on herself – a memorable image now displayed in a conference room. This time, Zamiri adds another layer of humor: the corporate executives all describe her playful movement as “innovative.”

The screenplay felt a little rough around the edges. A metaphor about a caged bird in her practice space doesn’t quite work, and there’s an awkward attempt to create drama that feels unnecessarily intense – almost as if the record label would rather she fail. Surprisingly, one of the strongest scenes involves Charli XCX meeting Kylie Jenner, who’s known for growing up in the spotlight as one of the Kardashian sisters. Kylie casually advises, “When you feel like people are losing interest, you just have to work even harder.” That’s solid advice for someone seeking fame for its own sake, but a true artist might want to reconsider.

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2026-01-30 21:32