A woman in a strapless, structured dress stands in a studio as a man in denim adjusts her hair whilst another person with equipment looks on. Studio lights frame the scene, capturing The Moment reminiscent of Charli XCX in a new film shoot.

Charli XCX was everywhere in the summer of 2024, as the Brat album provided the soundtrack of everything from TikToks to a presidential election campaign. Ever since then, we’ve been wondering what she’ll do next, and we got an answer next year that it would be The Moment, a new film she was starring in. But questions have swirled as to what it actually is: a drama? A documentary? It’s a bit of a mix of both- here’s everything you need to know:

What is The Moment?

The Moment is described as a mockumentary that blends some of Charli’s real-life experiences with fictionalised elements, essentially playing an alternate version of herself. When it was announced that the pop star would be teaming with A24 to make the film, it seemed like a natural fit in terms of aesthetic. In the film, we find Charli XCX just post Brat Summer, having skyrocketed to being one of the most talked about celebs on the planet. With the familiar green and all lower-case Brat cover now instantly recognisable and her name on everyone’s lips, she’s juggling the pressures and pitfalls of fame while preparing to kick off an arena tour, with rehearsals underway.

A person with long, dark hair wearing a white dressing gown holds a wine glass in one hand and talks on a green phone with the other, looking to the side—evoking the stylish vibe of Charli XCX in a new film scene.
A woman with long dark hair wears large dark sunglasses and a thick scarf, looking serious—like a scene from The Moment, the new film. Another woman with pale skin and dark hair stands blurred in the background amid dim lighting.

Obviously, there’s plenty of real-world inspiration here, and many things will feel recognisable, but The Moment is definitely more exaggerated and zany. The record label is pressuring her to keep going with promoting Brat and keeping the phenomenon going, something that the fictionalised Charli begins to find grating. Things get more meta ever when the label pushes for a concert film to be made accompanying the arena tour, creating a film within a film plot line, and a director (played by Succession star Alexander Skarsgard) is hired to take control of it. The pop star isn’t happy about this, but she is also dealing with her own insecurities and with the expectations of millions of fans. Skarsgard isn’t the only familiar face attached to the project, but beloved Kardashian member, Kylie Jenner, will also be making her acting debut, playing a fictionalised version of herself.

Speaking to Elle Magazine, the (real life) Charli said of the film that “Playing a version of myself—it’s interesting artistically to me… …I feel like I can have a lot of fun with it, poke fun at what people who don’t really know me that well at all think of me.” So it sounds like she isn’t taking it too seriously, though The Moment premiered at Sundance and certainly has a buzz around it due to its slightly mysterious nature. If you can’t wait to relieve Brat Summer, then you don’t have long to wait: The Moment is set to release on 20th February, and you can watch the official trailer to catch a glimpse of the mockumentary below:

Watch the trailer

Culture, Films & TV

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