Nobody Thought The Moment Through

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As a huge Charli XCX fan, I always felt a mockumentary about her life was a brilliant idea – she’s so good at being both genuinely herself and playfully referencing pop culture. The beginning of The Moment totally proves that! It opens with a bunch of news clips showing how massive her 2024 album Brat became and the whole ‘Brat Summer’ craze. Honestly, the level of attention she already gets is so over-the-top that all the film really needs to do is exaggerate things just a little to become a full-on parody.

While it seems simple on the surface, Aidan Zamiri’s documentary The Moment doesn’t quite deliver. It tries to be both a genuine concert film and a mockumentary in the style of This Is Spinal Tap, but it doesn’t fully commit to either. Ultimately, it feels more like a carefully crafted publicity piece. The film follows Charli as she gears up for a tour, navigating sponsorships, media appearances, and even wardrobe choices. When the movie focuses on this hectic environment – the excitement around Brat Summer, for example – it’s engaging, and Zamiri effectively captures the energy and disarray. It’s often difficult to distinguish between what’s authentic and what’s been staged for comedic effect.

However, a sense of conflict starts to emerge quickly. Charli’s record label wants to extend the success of “Brat Summer” for as long as possible – maybe a year or two, or even more – and they’ve partnered with Amazon to create a concert documentary. The film is directed by Johannes Godwin (played by Alexander Skarsgård, who portrays a somewhat shallow character), a filmmaker who talks in vague, inspirational terms and pretends to be a serious artist, but ultimately wants to create a safe, commercially appealing version of Charli’s style. This leads to tension with Celeste (Hailey Benton Gates), Charli’s longtime creative director, and Charli’s overwhelmed assistants struggle to manage the situation.

The main issue with the film The Moment is its hesitancy to truly explore its central figure. Charli XCX plays a version of herself, but the portrayal lacks cinematic depth. We see her as confused and overwhelmed by fame and drama – something a simple documentary could have easily conveyed. The film populates itself with caricatures – from the irritating Johannes to her weak manager, a ruthless record executive, an overly enthusiastic makeup artist, and even a deeply troubled fan. This creates the impression that being Charli XCX is difficult simply because everyone around her is eccentric or foolish. While this may be true, it’s likely not the message the filmmakers intended to convey.

It’s possible to pull off a show like this, as Larry David proved with 25 years of Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO, where he played a character who was both sensible and hilariously clueless. However, it requires honesty and a willingness to make fun of yourself. This film has a few bright spots, especially when other celebrities appear as themselves. A scene where Charli unexpectedly encounters Kylie Jenner at a difficult time shows promise, but it’s just a fleeting moment of depth. A later speech from Charli about always wanting to be popular and accepted doesn’t help, and actually makes the film feel less like a satire and more like a overly dramatic excuse for her actions.

Charli XCX has always carefully managed how she appears to the public, so the new film The Moment feels underdeveloped, as if the filmmakers didn’t fully plan it out. They seem to want to make a movie about Charli, but not a typical music documentary. They’re aiming for something playful, which fits her personality. However, a successful mockumentary, like those made by Christopher Guest, relies on everyone appearing slightly ridiculous, not just a few people. And a good behind-the-scenes music documentary should feel like an honest look at the artist. The Moment tries to combine these two approaches, but ultimately fails to deliver either a convincing satire or a genuine portrait of Charli XCX.

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2026-01-25 00:54