Whether you’ve been listening to her hyperpop earworms for years or you discovered the magic that is Charli XCX by blasting her club classics from the comfort of your couch during Brat summer, her music is unavoidable. The signature Brat lime green defined the summer of 2024, and a year and a half after its release, Brat remains a mainstay in pop culture. But it seems Charli XCX is finally ready to close the chapter on the era. In her new mockumentary, The Moment, she’s paying homage to the highs and lows of her “overnight” (some of us have been here since “Boom Clap”) success.
Going into the film, I expected 90 minutes of laughs, satirizing the wild life of a pop star. Instead, I left the theater with an authentic look at the plight of pop music today: the relentless push toward commercialism over artistry. From incredible editing to fabulous celeb cameos, here’s my full review of Charli XCX’s film debut, The Moment.
What is The Moment about?
The Moment follows Charli XCX after the explosive release of her album Brat as she prepares for her arena tour. Her creative vision and her label’s expectations clash when the overbearing director of her concert film begins to hijack the tour entirely.
My review of The Moment
Before seeing The Moment, I assumed the film would be a slightly fictionalized version of what happened post-Brat. What I didn’t expect was a peek behind the curtain at the biggest issues plaguing pop stars today. The film focuses on the extreme lengths both artists and the teams behind them will go to to ensure the spotlight stays shining. Even when that means abandoning the very artistic vision that led to the album they’re promoting. The industry can reduce both fans and artists to nothing more than a paycheck.
The concept of a concert film alone already highlights how commercialized the industry has become. Artists can stretch one album over years: the initial release, remixes, a U.S. tour, international legs, a concert movie, and even a documentary about making the tour. The Moment satirizes it all, critiquing the system in a sharp, self-aware way. It asks audiences to examine how they’re used as pawns in this modern era of touring musicians—and to consider how the artists they love may also be complicit.
“The comedic moments alone would’ve made this movie worth watching, but The Moment delivers so much more—expertly critiquing the music industry while keeping us laughing all the way through.”
We’ve always been a product when it comes to artists, whether we’re paying with streams, ticket sales, or views. But while that truth was once veiled, in 2026, labels aren’t even trying to hide it. The music industry today is commercialism at its peak, made worse by labels trying to extend a single “moment” for as long as possible. As Kylie Jenner tells Charli in her scene-stealing cameo, the second you feel yourself fading is when you have to push even harder to stay relevant. Even when artists are still on the road, audiences are already demanding what’s next. The Moment shows how entire concerts are designed for virality, so even fans who can’t beat scalpers and bots to a seat can watch along at home, feeding the commercialism cycle.
While some eagle-eyed theatergoers have pointed out parallels between Charli’s final scene—where she ultimately goes with the label’s watered-down, money-hungry tour plan—and the choreography and stage design of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, I don’t think The Moment is necessarily criticizing artists themselves, but rather the systems they’re forced to exist in. Charli’s character abandons the creative vision she knows is better in favor of the label-backed version that makes it to the fictional tour. Her reasoning? If she doesn’t burn Brat down herself, she’ll have to keep up the Brat charade forever at the label’s request. Just as listeners can’t consume their favorite music without removing it from the commercial context in which it was created, artists can’t separate from it either. Charli isn’t blaming the artist; she’s highlighting the delicate dance artists must do to balance career longevity with artistic integrity.
I walked away with unexpected reflections and a new lens through which to consume music, but I was also laughing out loud the entire time. Charli is genuinely great on screen, and Alexander Skarsgård as the quirky, controlling director is something I didn’t know I desperately needed in my life. The comedic moments alone would’ve made this movie worth watching, but The Moment delivers so much more. It expertly critiques the music industry while keeping us laughing all the way through.
So, should you watch The Moment?
While I loved every second of The Moment, you should have at least some interest in the pop music scene to justify a trip to the theater. You don’t need to be a Charli XCX stan or a walking pop-music trivia machine, but if you keep up with the pop girlies and your FYP floods with concert clips whenever your faves are on tour, you’ll have so much fun with this one.
Lauren Blue, Assistant Editor
As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of must-read books, movies, home tours, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Goodreads for new releases to feature on the site.
