Courtesy of A24 Films
The film’s concept was created by Charli XCX and takes inspiration from her experience in the music industry.Charli XCX’s (Charlie Aitchison’s) latest project “The Moment” released in theaters earlier this year. Working alongside director Aidan Zamiri and A24, the studio behind box office hits such as “Marty Supreme,” “The Moment” has gained critical acclaim and has grossed over $3 million domestically.
Aitchison, 33, originally made her debut as a British artist in 2013 when she released her album “True Romance.” Her single “Boom Clap” went viral and peaked in the top 10 on Billboard’s music charts in 2014. More recently her album “brat” was a massive hit and the summer of 2024. In fact, the whole summer was dubbed the brat summer in recognition of her album.
“The Moment” takes the form of a mockumentary — a movie in the form of a documentary — that covers fictional events inspired by Charli XCX’s journey through the music industry. The film follows Aitchison’s as she navigates a fictionalized version of her story. The movie aims to capture the exact moment when a small artist hits it big and the artistic integrity they lose along the way.
Specifically, the movie follows a fictional Aitchison’s preparation for her “brat” tour and concert film as her label. However, to pursue profits, her film director compromises the album’s original artistic vision by turning it into an album that is family friendly and to a much wider audience.
The movie’s format sits in this odd place because of this approach: It feels like a horror film of what could have happened to Aitchison in an alternate reality instead of actually being a documentary.
In addition to the confusing blended genre format, the film tends to feel a bit slow at times — especially in the first half — and sometimes feels stagnant.
However, while the execution is often lacking, the premise of the film is very interesting as it raises many relevant questions. I found myself constantly wondering, how long is too long for an artist to keep capitalizing on the same album? In addition, it raised an interesting question about how much autonomy a mainstream artist retains as their success grows.
In addition, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Charli XCX’s acting. I expected her, like many pop stars who turn to acting, to be dull and undynamic. Instead, she perfectly captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by decisions as well as by the expectations of her label, her fans and her friends while seeking to maintain her own artistic vision.
So while the execution and format of the movie leave much to be desired, the larger premise of the movie is mostly fulfilling enough to make up for some of the shortcomings.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Falcons
