Forget everything you know about Charli XCX, ‘The Moment’ (2026) | Film Review

Forget everything you know about Charli XCX, ‘The Moment’ is a mockumentary, satirical, deeply meta commentary on Charli’s experience of fame, success and of course the global phenomenon that is her ‘brat’ album cycle. The Moment isn’t a sophisticated documentary about the album or the music industry, quite the opposite, the film delves into the dark, manipulative choke hold that money and power can have over an artist. The version of Charli we see in this film is rooted in truth but is represented as a parody extension of the singer we know, Charli has arresting humility and is able to perform a heartfelt performance whilst baring her soul to the audience. The lines of reality and fiction are blurred in this feature and that is something I thoroughly enjoyed, knowing the story is based off a very real artist and her story but warped in such a way that it becomes a dramatic, chaotic, comedic, anxiety inducing look inside the music industry. 

Charli is not known for being an actress but a hardcore performer, yes. She is able to deliver a vulnerable performance, the opening scene we watch as she exhausts herself on set, I believe a lot of this film would have been cathartic for her. Therapeutic almost to take a look at her life and success from a new perspective and lens. She surprised me, she was genuinely the only person that could have pulled this off. The accompanying cast of Alexander Skarsgård, Isaac Powell, Hailey Gates, Rish Shah and Jamie Demetriou all brought emotion and comedy to the film. Skarsgård and Demetriou were able to bring lightness and nuance to the films chaotic visuals, they were comic reliefs but they worked extremely well. 

Director: Aidan Zamiri 

Cinematographer: Sean Price Williams (Good Time, 2017)

Considering this is Aidan’s first feat as a director, I am blown away by his precision and style choices behind the camera. As a photographer, Aidan has a gritty, nostalgic tone to his images and this style translates into The Moment. He uses extreme close ups, handheld, chaotic movements of the camera to capture intimate moments. Working with Sean Price Williams, the pair have a vision that perfectly encapsulates the madness of this film, the look and feel of The Moment is pure chaos from the get go. We are catapulted into the world of fast paced, high energy control and execution. In a world like the music industry, where everything must be perfect, The Moment shows us how demeaning, exhausting and unapologetically messy it can be. I loved getting a look behind the scenes, behind the perfect image of a pop star that wasn’t a simple structured documentary. 

I was lucky enough to attend a Q&A with both Aidan and Charli, they noted a few films that inspired the vision for The Moment. I wanted to share them with you to give you a little more insight into the execution, tone and style of this film. Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991), Unzipped (1995) and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004). 

To conclude, The Moment surprised me beyond my wildest dreams. From the perspective of someone who loves chaos on screen, loves humility and watching the lines of reality and fiction blurred this film really excited me and engaged me. Visually and aesthetically the film impressed me, the approach to fame and story reminded me of films like This is Spinal Tap (1984), The Last Showgirl (2024) or Spice World (1997). Some could argue this film promised to have more integrity but for me, as someone who wasn’t looking for answers or wanting to understand Charli as an artist, I loved the ridiculousness of the narrative and the fast decline and spiral out of control. 

The Moment is a mockumentary with elements of truth, it’s funny, it’s charming, the cast perform brilliantly and although some would argue it’s a simple ‘concert movie’ I tend to disagree. I think The Moment attempts to do something fun, this film wanted to comment on the music industry and the hypocrisy of it all whilst making you laugh in disbelief. 

Probe Points

★★★★