The Moment is Over Before It Gets Started
spoilers ahead
***
15
1 hour 43 minutes
Charli xcx and Kate Berlant in The Moment (2026)
Directed by: Aidan Zamiri
Written by: Aidan Zamiri & Bertie Brandes
Starring: Charli xcx as herself; Alexander Skarsgård as Johannes Godwin; Hailey Benton Gates as Celeste Moreau Collins; Jamie Demetriou as Tim Potts
Produced by: Charli xcx & David Hinojosa
There's something missing from The Moment. The premise, developed from Charli xcx's very own noggin, is postured as a music industry satire. Shallow corporate partnerships and detrimental miscommunications ultimately orchestrate the downfall of Brat Summer as the fictional Charli folds under pressure from her label, her peers, and the overbearing film director Johannes Godwin (Alexander Skarsgård) despite having already established a distinct tone for her breakout album. Instead of listening to her instinct that the whole "keep having a Brat Summer thing is a bit cringe," she impulsively decides that the tone deaf Joahnnes is a greater authority on Brat's branding than she is. Why she comes to this conclusion is somewhat underwhelming, with the catalyst being a passing conversation with Kylie Jenner at a pretentious Ibiza spa.
The Moment knows how to deliver its comedic beats. Its humour is presented with a dry British wit, with a standout performance being from Jamie Demetriou (Stath Lets Flats; Barbie) in the role of Tim Potts, Charli's well-meaning but out-of-touch manager. A mundane conversation over a pigeon living in the concert rehearsal stage ceiling turns into a farcical confusion over the double entendre embedded in the word 'bird': "What does she eat?" "Crumbs, mice..." This brief but valuable scene that showed how underutilised Demetriou was in the film's final cut.
Charli xcx gets ready for a “What’s In My Bag?” video in The Moment
Celeste (Hailey Benton Gates), Charli's blunt-but-brilliant creative director was also unfairly sidelined, both metaphorically and literally. Although initially supported by Charli in her ambitions for the Brat arena tour, there's little to their dynamic beyond their mutual understanding of what exactly Brat is. Even their private conversation in Charli's Shoreditch penthouse (which is difficult to follow because of director Aidan Zamiri's fly-on-the-wall camerawork), it's hard to tell why exactly Charli and Celeste developed this bond. Perhaps this is why Charli finds it easy to dispose of Celeste's input as soon as the pressure mounts. Even still, the reasoning for her change of heart appears shallow.
A high and somewhat unfair level of criticism was targeted at Kylie Jenner's casting in The Moment. Her place in the film added a culturally aware layer to the storytelling, however this didn't quite translate to the silver screen. The music video for A.G. Cook's "Residue" breathed life into her character in an artistically engaging way that The Moment didn't achieve -- representing the sacrifice of creativity to become a vehicle for bland consumerism. A huge amount of weight is placed on Kylie's insight, which Charli immediately takes as Bible. But why? The significance of Kylie in Charli's life was previously unknown prior to her casting within The Moment. As beautiful and serene as she appears in the Ibiza spa, contrasted with Charli's red-faced (but still beautiful) mess, it still doesn't feel like enough of a reason for Charli to rid all of hers and Celeste's hard work.
Charli xcx worries that Brat Summer is getting cringe in The Moment
At a tight 103 minutes, The Moment's Uncut Gems -esque narrative could've been extended into a two-hour stress fest. More time to heighten the stakes, more depth to Charli's popstar Black Swan. The lime green finale would've been a more poignant ending had we spent more time getting to know our characters' attachments and ambitions. The Moment, although an entertaining satire, ends up feeling like a half-completed side quest.
