In a captivating blend of reality and fiction, the original idea developed by Charli xcx translates masterfully onto the silver screen, taking her fans and music lovers by storm. “The Moment” is director Aidan Zamiri’s first full-length film, a huge step up in his career from his usual work on various music videos and commercials. Most notably, Zamiri previously collaborated with Charli and Billie Eilish on the “Guess” music video for the deluxe version of her Grammy Award-winning 2024 album, “Brat,” the very album that this movie revolves around.
Back in September 2024, in the midst of co-headlining the iconic “Sweat” tour alongside Troye Sivan, Charli formulated the premise of the film in a rambling voice message sent to Zamiri, outlining her idea for the movie. A screenplay was hastily written, and in January 2025, it was announced that Charli would be portraying a fictionalized version of herself in this mockumentary-style film. The overarching storyline focuses on Charli’s character, a rising pop sensation, navigating the complexities of fame and pressure within the music industry as she prepares for an arena tour debut, entitled the “Brat Tour,” sharing the same name as the real-life one, which took place from November 2024 to August 2025.
The film begins with a bold opening sequence, depicting Charli seemingly doing a take for a hypothetical music video, including a flash warning for the multitude of strobe lights and flashing colors flooding the frame. Singlehandedly, this short segment immediately sets the tone for Charli’s stylistic choices that will later be exemplified in the original plans for her “Brat Tour.” This initial scene is accompanied by an electrifying track from the film’s palpitating score, composed by A.G. Cook, an English producer who has previously worked with Charli on several of her projects.
Across the globe, the summer of 2024 was dubbed “Brat summer,” representing an entire era of Charli’s career and hurling her artistry into a whole new realm, reaching a wider audience than ever before. This era is a crucial aspect of the film, shown through the way corporate companies try to implement brand deals to capitalize on this “Brat” branding for as much profit as possible, subsequently diluting the original creativity of the album without regard for Charli’s opinion or approval. This is merely one of the many negative aspects of the music industry that is embodied within the film.
Multiple noteworthy characters contribute to the swirling chaos of the industry surrounding the up-and-coming popstar. Charli’s close friend and creative director, Celeste (Hailey Gates), delivers a compelling performance as a stress-riddled creative mind. She works to combat the censorship and pretentiousness of a well-known filmmaker named Johannes (Alexander Skarsgård), who was hired to simply document Charli’s show on camera in order to compile an Amazon Music concert film. The entire movie is shot from the point of view of the camera crew tasked with documenting the production of the tour. Once Johannes is introduced, it is quickly revealed that he has no expectation of merely filming the tour—he wants to take over the entire production, mainly by attempting to transform Charli’s brand into something more family-friendly instead of her emblematic ‘party girl’ persona.
Several other problems arise as the day of the “Brat” show nears, eliciting a deluge of stress and high-strung tension from Charli’s crew and collaborators, all while Charli has little room to breathe. Being surrounded by such demanding and nerve-racking predicaments causes some rash decisions to be made. Along the way, cameos from Rachel Sennott and Kylie Jenner greet the audience with some familiar faces, propelling the film forward.
In real life, Charli has now appeared in roughly nine films, according to IMDb, but “The Moment” takes the cake in terms of performance. Charli’s energy is palpable through the screen, and she expertly combines her true personality with an exaggeratedly manic version of herself. Charli truly does it all in this film—from perfect comedic timing to teary moments of suffocating anxiety, Charli finds a way to make even the most untraditional lifestyle resonate with audiences.
Collectively, “The Moment” offers a raw, candid insight into the objectionable details of the music industry and what performers must go through for the sake of their art. It is evident that an abundance of passion and appreciation was put into the production of this film. Musicians, artists, and fans all have something different to gain from this unique film.
