"The Moment" REVIEW

Published on 2/12/2026 

Written by: Braylon Mitchell 

Directed by: Aidan Zamiri 

Cast: Charli xcx, Alexander Skarsgard, Jamie Demetriou, Haliey Benton Gates, Rosanna Arquette, etc. 

Plot: A rising pop star navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena tour debut.

REVIEW 

I'm not a diehard Charli xcx fan or anything like that, but I recall clearly how cultrally massive "brat summer" was in 2024 and with time having passed since that major pop culture moment I was interested to revisit that "brat" time period with this meta mockumentary. Starring Charli xcx as a heightened, constantly disgruntled version of herself at the tail end of "brat summer" as she prepares for a tour and the pressure to keep "brat" alive for as long as possible- this film works best when it leans into what makes it interesting, its satire on how corperations stretch something popular thin and how an artist's art can loose its intial meaning/passion when it becomes larger than the artist. As well as when the film leans into hyper-twisting reality and poking fun at itself, it works well- but that's an issue I had with the film, it doesn't lean into its strengths nearly enough. Too often the film felt like it was stuck on a stress-centric, annoyed tone and lacking of substance outside of that, which is frusrating when other elements of the film are engaging. As the film went on, it got a certain point where I found myself bored- and that shouldn't have been the case, especially because of all the film does get right. 

THREE BEST ELEMENTS

• The cinematography. Being a mockumentary and all, the camera work is what you'd expect- shaky and very "in the moment" which reflects the external and interal stress of the film very well. 

• The score. A.G. Cook did a great job with the score, sounds in the realm of Charli xcx's techo style of music while withstanding as it's own composition fit for the film. 

• Jamie Demetriou's performance. He's consistently put in great work as a supporting character actor in several projects large and small, and I really appreciated his performance in this film. He's perfectly fit for this type of "manager just trying to do his job" character. 

WORST ELEMENT 

• It's a one note film, sticking to a single tone and state of mind which to its detriment misses out on exploring more fully the film's meta strengths. Charli xcx's performance being a major reason as well, as the way she is playing herself comes across as feeling very one note. 

RATING

5/10

It's fine if you don't watch it, buddy - unless you're a big Charli xcx fan!