Charli XCX’s brat summer isn’t over yet.
Charli XCX’s mockumentary THE MOMENT is a clever satire of young women popstars trying to differentiate themselves from the crowd. 2025 brought us HURRY UP TOMORROW, The Weeknd’s attempt at a psychological thriller starring himself as a fictionalized version of himself, and it was a mess. Pop music should be fun, and THE MOMENT delivers that.Â
A long time ago at the Sundance film festival, I saw a British political satire called IN THE LOOP, co-written by Jesse Armstrong, who went on to create SUCCESSION. THE MOMENT feels very inspired by both of these. Charli plays a version of herself, preparing for a version of her tour for her critically acclaimed and wildly successful 2024 album BRAT. Maybe Charli has also seen IN THE LOOP or watched a lot of SUCCESSION.Â
If you’re not into this type of music or haven’t been to any of the big tours, then this movie might not be for you. THE MOMENT takes some jabs at other pop stars, but doesn’t name any names, and it’s never done in a mean way. In the last few years, I’ve seen Taylor Swift on her Eras Tour, Beyoncé on her Cowboy Carter Tour, P!nk on the Summer Carnival Tour, and, in a few days, I’ll see Lady Gaga for The Mayhem Ball Tour. If you’re familiar with any of these, then you’ll probably recognize some of the many tour elements that they joke about.Â
It’s always a pleasure to see Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd in a comedic role, here as Charli’s costar and concert film director Johannes. Along with SkarsgÃ¥rd, Rosanna Arquette plays a record label executive, and Rachel Sennott shows up in a cameo playing a fictionalized version of herself. SkarsgÃ¥rd’s role in THE MOMENT and Johannes’s exchanges with Charli and her team are easily the highlight of the film.Â
THE MOMENT is an EXPERIENCE NOW. Catch it currently in theatres. Â