Dir: Aidan Zamiri
Cast: Charli XCX, Alexander Skarsgard, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, Rachel Sennott, Kylie Jenner
Charli XCX commands the screen as she playfully skewers her own “brat movement” and the quirks of modern pop culture, yet despite its flair and humour, this music mockumentary never quite lands its sharpest blows
When it was announced that British electropop sensation Charli XCX would be both producing and starring in a mockumentary about herself, I couldn’t help but recall the painfully awkward disaster that was The Weeknd‘s misfired vanity project, “Hurry Up Tomorrow”, last year. Yet I found myself trusting Charli’s natural, grounded British charm to balance self-awareness with genuine reflection on her influence, sidestepping any whiff of ego. The mockumentary format itself is a bold choice, even compared to the somewhat baffling psychological thriller route Trey Edward Shults took in 2025 to showcase The Weeknd’s acting chops, to no avail. Though rare in cinema, mockumentaries have carved out a niche in comedy, with Christopher Guest‘s classics like “A Mighty Wind” (2003), “Waiting for Guffman” (1996), “Best in Show” (2000), and the iconic 1984 rockumentary, “This is Spinal Tap” (1984), defining the genre’s gold standard. This blueprint has been revisited a few times, most notably with “The Office” and the supernatural comedy “What We Do in the Shadows”, which has charmed critics in both film and television over the past decade.
What unites the best mockumentaries is their cast of entirely invented characters, which lets the comedy spiral into delightful absurdity—cranked, as Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel would say, up to eleven. Charli XCX’s “The Moment” breaks this mold by placing the real Charli at the centre of the chaos, surrounded by a supporting cast that blurs the line between fiction and reality. The only past example of a semi-biographical mockumentary I can recall is Casey Affleck’s musical parody “I’m Still Here”(2010), in which Joaquin Phoenix played a fictional version of himself spiralling into hip-hop. That film raised fascinating questions about fame, but ultimately stumbled because its stars never fully embraced the joke.
The seed for Charli’s A24-produced mockumentary, “The Moment”, was planted back in 2024, when the popstar fired off a raw, emotional message to her collaborator Aidan Zamiri—who later dubbed it “word vomit.” Zamiri and co-writer Bertie Brandes took inspiration from Charli’s candid reaction to her skyrocketing fame that summer, weaving her insights into the script as she remained hands-on throughout the creative process.
The mockumentary crew shadows Charli as the brat summer craze of 2024 appears to be winding down, just after her sixth studio album drops. Even though Charli finds the hype around her own music “cringe,” she and her relentless team keep the promotional machine running, rolling out everything from quirky marketing stunts to a “Brat” credit card with the struggling British bank Howard Sterling, which questionably targets only her large, devoted LGBTQ+ fanbase.
Meanwhile, Tammy Pitman (Rosanna Arquette), a sharp American executive at Charli’s record label, agrees to greenlight an Amazon Music concert film chronicling the Brat Tour. The project falls into the hands of celebrated yet insufferably pretentious Swedish director Johannes Godwin (Alexander Skarsgard), who gradually seizes creative control. This power shift frustrates both Charli and her loyal creative director, Celeste (Hailey Benton Gates), and as the relentless promotion of Brat continues, Charli teeters on the edge of losing her sense of self.
From the outset, it’s clear that Charli is not the egotist The Weeknd is. Even with her name and career splashed across the screen, the film resists turning her into a mere pop idol. Aside from a few rehearsal snippets, her music takes a back seat, save for a frenetic, seizure-inducing opening and the end credits. This stands in sharp contrast to “Hurry Up Tomorrow”, where The Weeknd and Jenna Ortega’s obsessive fan endlessly dissect the supposed profundity of what felt like his entire discography.
That being said, I do feel like “The Moment” pulls its punches. While Charli XCX and her writing team playfully skewer the modern music industry, as well as celebrity culture and social media marketing, they never fully commit to calling out the industry powerhouses responsible for exploiting and benefiting from their client’s talent and genius. With the Brit have another bumper year in 2026, following the recent release of Emerald Fennell‘s “Wuthering heights”, for which she wrote the music, as well as having an additional three feature film roles coming in the next few months, it is clearly awkward for the popstar to overly scrutinise those within her industry at such a promising time in her career.
What truly sells the film is Charli herself. The 33-year-old shines on camera, her signature chaotic energy, cool demeanour, and undeniable presence translating effortlessly to film. Playing a heightened version of herself, Charli nails the comedic beats and captures the whirlwind of stress young stars face from demanding studios. Her witty takes on fans, entourage, and fellow celebrities feel both hilarious and refreshingly authentic.
“The Moment” ultimately achieves Charli’s goal: to de-bratify her image and close the book on an era that has run its course. While it never dives too deep into subversion, the film shines brightest when its satire veers into the absurd, echoing the spirit of classic mockumentaries. Thanks to sharp, witty dialogue, it delivers an entertaining and mildly thought-provoking hundred minutes, even if it never fully skewers its subject.
The Verdict:
Ultimately, Charli XCX’s music mockumentary is a fun, flamboyant ride that’s as self-aware as its star. While it doesn’t always hit the satirical highs it aims for, it succeeds as a loving lampoon of modern pop culture’s obsession with image, virality, and reinvention. Charli’s willingness to poke fun at herself—while never losing sight of her artistic vision—makes for an entertaining, if uneven, exploration of 21st-century stardom. Whether you’re a diehard fan or a casual listener of her work, there is enough to enjoy here to warrant a viewing.
The Moment is now showing in UK cinemas
Dan Loves Film 
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