'The Moment' Review
- Tyler Strandberg
- 26 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 02/06/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Comedy. Drama. Mockumentary. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: A24.
The Verdict: A Must-See
As Jasmine Kennedy famously declared, “This is your moment! Have it!” And Charli XCX absolutely is. After the neon burst of brat summer in 2024, her momentum has not slowed, with brat still sitting at the center of the pop conversation. At the same time, she has been steadily carving out space in film and television, composing the score for Bottoms, working on the upcoming Wuthering Heights and Mother Mary, and producing the series Overcompensating, where she also appears on screen. It feels natural that her latest project blends the world of brat with her growing love of film, leading to the story that became The Moment. While the film centers on Charli herself, the story reaches beyond her, using humor and sharp self awareness to explore the rush, pressure, and identity spiral that can come with success moving faster than you can process it.
Shot in a mockumentary style, The Moment follows a fictionalized Charli XCX near the end of her massive brat summer in 2024. The highs are still there, but the shine is starting to wear thin, and she feels the strain of being reduced to brat as her entire identity. Her label and PR team, however, see endless opportunity, pushing brat harder and harder in hopes of squeezing out every last headline and dollar. Stuck between burnout and obligation, she agrees to film a concert movie for the upcoming brat tour. Tension builds when the hired director, played by Alexander Skarsgard, begins asserting his own creative vision, muddying the line between collaboration and takeover. With cameras always in her face, Charli is pushed to question not only the artist she wants to be, but the person she is when she is never off the clock.
I walked in ready to love this, mostly because brat has had a serious grip on me. My editor can confirm I am spiritually a 365 party girl, and “Von Dutch is still in heavy rotation. I did not expect the film to feel this openly critical of brat. Charli makes it clear she is thankful for what brat has given her, but she also shows how it has morphed into something louder and less personal than she ever planned. This is not her trashing brat, but it does feel like her way of closing out an era that has defined her in a huge way for the past two years.
The satire is what really makes the movie click. It takes the film’s ideas about creative burnout and pushes them to a point that is ridiculous but still painfully recognizable. Industry chaos, ego clashes, and emotional spirals are framed in a way that is consistently funny without turning the story into a full blown cartoon. The humor lands in that sweet spot where you are laughing, then realizing you are laughing because it feels a little too real.
One of the smartest choices behind the scenes is Charli bringing in other people to steer the script and direction. Even though the idea started with her and she has been moving further into film, she does not try to control every piece of the project. Letting experienced filmmakers shape the story keeps The Moment from feeling like a vanity project and shows a real commitment to making the best film possible.
The same focus that makes The Moment feel so specific is also what limits it. Even with the fictional angle, the story is tied closely to Charli XCX and the larger cultural wave of brat, which naturally pulls in viewers who are already invested. The themes are broad and relatable, but the presentation can feel very rooted in her particular world. That tight lens, while intentional, may be what keeps the film from reaching people who are not already tuned into her orbit.
Even with those constraints, The Moment feels like a major turning point in Charli XCX’s career. It plays like a playful, self aware closing note on this chapter of her life, a signal that we can still love brat while she looks ahead. She knows brat will likely follow her forever, but instead of fighting that, she lets go of controlling what it means to everyone else. In doing so, she focuses on what actually feels healthy and exciting for her, delivering that shift through sharp, funny satire that makes the transition feel more freeing than bittersweet.
