When it comes to recent cultural watersheds, nothing compares to the widespread appeal of Brat Summer. Backing the release of “Brat” in 2024, this sensation not only catapulted Charli XCX into the mainstream, but also conveyed the individuality of Generation Z (Gen Z) like nothing else had before through its unapologetic aesthetic. Instead of attempting to revive the Brat phenomenon nearly two years later, Charli XCX and her frequent collaborator Aidan Zamiri wrote the footnote for a volatile chapter in pop culture history with “The Moment.” The film had a limited release in theaters on Jan. 30 before expanding nationwide on Feb. 6.
Its plot is a satirized version of Charli XCX’s life and the events leading up to her tour in support of “Brat.” She hires renowned filmmaker Johannes Godwin (Alexander Skarsgård) to produce a concert film for the show. His domineering work ethic, coupled with mounting pressure on Charli XCX to live up to a certain image, causes her life to spiral out of control. Eventually, faced with scandals, creative disputes and general burnout as an industry figure, Charli XCX must figure out how to piece her life back together whilst following through with the tour she’s worked tirelessly for.
With the screenplay blurring the line between fiction and reality, an equally daring vision is adopted for the film to match. Zamiri, who is primarily known for his background directing music videos, tells the story through a mockumentary format, giving the impression that a camera crew is filming the real lives of Charli XCX and her team. In addition, the film is color graded similarly to the “360” music video Zamiri directed. Its vibrant colors and heavy use of halation — a film effect where a soft glow appears around bright lights — create imperfection within the otherwise pristine filmmaking. This grading keeps the story in Charli XCX’s larger Brat Summer mentality rather than the drab reality of the modern world.
From the film’s opening scene — a Charli XCX performance intense enough to kill a Victorian-era child — to the film’s startling conclusion connecting its loose themes to the the music industry’s harsh realities, Zamiri doesn’t hold back his stylistic impulses. “The Moment” is brash and loud to a fault, just like the album and ensuing sensation that inspired the film. This is most apparent in the seizure-inducing opening credits and matching location titles throughout, which use flashing lights to match Charli XCX’s electropop brand.
Quirks of Brat Summer rhetoric litter the film, which make sense given that the “Brat” mindset celebrates angst and embracing one’s singularity. But therein lies the problem: having a film revolve around imperfection only makes its cinematic flaws more apparent. A film called “The Moment” should feel spontaneous, as if it were a recording of life itself. Charli XCX’s chaotic rendition of “The Office” instead feels carefully constructed, like a re-enactment of her own character flaws. Simply put, it’s a satire that only somewhat satirizes its main protagonist.
It doesn’t help that — excluding Charli XCX’s engaging screen presence and Skarsgård’s looney turn as Johannes — there are hardly any characters of note. Most characters are just stand-ins for Charli XCX’s real-life art and business associates. While they get the job done, key figures like her fictional tour manager Jim (Jamie Demetriou) and creative director Celeste (Hailey Gates) feel underdeveloped and borderline soulless. With Celeste specifically, you don’t get the sense that she and Charli XCX are close friends until the end of the film.
Beyond that, the film features a plethora of celebrities playing fictionalized versions of themselves. A holy trinity of rich white influencers — Julia Fox, Kylie Jenner and Rachel Sennott — come and go like Stan Lee cameos in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, although Marvel at least had the decency to give him different roles each time. One noteworthy appearance is Anthony Fantano materializing like the Ghost of Christmas Past to lower his 10/10 rating for “Brat” to a 3/10 in light of in-universe controversy against Charli XCX.
In this way at least, “The Moment” captures our current era. It undoubtedly caters to Gen Z while alienating every other demographic in the process. By also embracing her own identity — both as an artist and individual — Charli XCX reflects on her role as an entertainer and the larger show business she is subjected to. It’s an objectively bold foray into something bigger than a simple concert film. Zamiri’s contributions, however, make the film feel like one long music video, counteracting Charli XCX’s reflections in more ways than one. Nonetheless, “The Moment” is still a good time for Charli XCX fans and a satisfying conclusion to the “Brat” era.
Jacob Bernardino is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. He can be reached at bernarj2@uci.edu.
Edited by June Min and Sasha Alikhanov
