A clever, satirical comedy about identity and perception, The Moment balances absurd humor with a sharp exploration of what it means to be “you.”
No shade to Charli xcx, but I wasn’t all that familiar with her before watching this movie. I’m Gen X, and I have kids who are Gen Z, so I’ve heard her music in passing, and I remember watching her on Saturday Night Live in 2024, but that’s about it. To me, she was one of the many pop idols making music and doing her thing. Now I feel like I know her a little better.
The Moment is a mockumentary about a period beginning in September 2024. It was just after “Brat Summer” ended (a cultural phenomenon inspired by Charli xcx, featuring lime-green clothing and accessories and a loose, imperfect, party-girl aesthetic), and Charli’s team was trying to capitalize on her popularity. There are many voices around her, including an Atlantic executive who agrees to contract with Johannes Godwin, an artsy director who is in charge of her tour footage. She is also contracted to promote a Brat lime-green credit card with a semi-shady company and tries to get away to a spa, where she has a less-than-relaxing time.
Going into this film, I knew nothing about it, which I’m glad about. This satire has such an absurdist throughline that it had me laughing out loud at least half a dozen times. It’s very tongue-in-cheek, and it never lets up.
Charli xcx is the straight man in this film. She is the center, and the person around which all the quirkiness takes place. She knows who she has always been, and she even comments about how strange it is to have a “team” giving her opinions after making her first album by herself with virtually no input. Now, someone wants to have a say about everything.
The only other person in the film who seems to see the ridiculousness is Charli’s friend and creative director, Celeste. Fending off wacky ideas from Johannes, Celeste knows who Charli is and what she would want.
While there are extremely funny scenarios and lines in The Moment, there is also an undercurrent of the discussion around “you as a product” vs “you as a human.” There are dozens of people weaving in and out of Charli’s life, from the people who dress her to the people who manage her to the new production crew whose job it is to make a great film. What they do is market a celebrity. So when Charli finds herself exhausted and in desperate need of relaxation, the counterintuitive nature is confusing to them.
With some fun visuals, a la screens with words at a concert guiding you through the timeline, as well as entertaining roles by Rosanna Arquette and Alexander Skarsgård, The Moment is worth checking out for a laugh. I had zero expectations going in, and I was very entertained.
Runtime: 103 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.25/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
No shade to Charli xcx, but I wasn’t all that familiar with her before watching this movie. I’m Gen X, and I have kids who are Gen Z, so I’ve heard her music in passing, and I remember watching her on Saturday Night Live in 2024, but that’s about it. To me, she was one of the many pop idols making music and doing her thing. Now I feel like I know her a little better.
