The Moment Kills Brat Summer

Sundance Film Review: The Moment
Director: Aidan Zamiri
A24, Studio365, 2AM
Premiere: 01.23.2026

Charli xcx is exactly who she thinks she is in her Sundance feature The Moment. Directed by Aidan Zamiri (and also written by Zamiri and Bertie Brandes), the mockumentary is a compellingly meta reflection on identity, mental health, the pressures of the music industry and, surprisingly enough, capitalism. Just when you thought it couldn’t get better than Brat Summer, Charli xcx proves she’s the artist’s artist and in full control of this ride.

The Moment follows a fictionalized version of Charli as she is about to embark on the final leg of the Brat tour to send off Brat Summer. Charli’s team — manager Tim (Jamie Demetriou, Fleabag, Paddington 2) and record rep Tammy (Rosanna Arquette, Desperately Seeking Susan, Pulp Fiction) — doesn’t want it to end, hoping to capitalize on all that they can from the album’s success. This includes efforts like a Brat credit card partnership in a last-ditch effort to reach (manipulate) a younger queer demographic and the hiring of what I can only describe as a Chris Martin caricature named Johannes (Alexander Skarsgård, Melancholia, The Northman) to direct the Brat tour film. As pressure increases and everyone around her is on hands and knees begging her to sell out, Charli starts to question not only her identity, but what made her successful in the first place: her art.

Every detail in The Moment is intentional, forming whatever the original idea was that Charli xcx tried to convey in a “word salad” voice memo to director Zamiri during her 2024 Sweat tour. From the comedic breaks during what feels like a high-octane stress dream from hell, to A. G. Cook’s deliciously sweat-inducing score, to a very well-placed and intentional cameo depicting what would happen to any normal woman if she ran into Kylie Jenner during one of the worst weeks of her life, it all works together. For Zamiri and Brandes’ feature debut, their joint effort to write feels like they’ve been writing like this their whole lives. Their tone, pacing and thematic weaving are nearly perfect for the Charli xcx aesthetic. A masterclass in understanding the assignment.

It’s an actual shock to me that The Moment is receiving such mixed reviews coming out of our dear Sundance Film Festival. I’m not sure if mockumentary sitcoms have rotted everyone’s media literacy straight out of their heads, but The Moment was never going to be The Office or Abbott Elementary. This is a film that actually has something very sincere to say despite its purposefully insincere delivery. The Moment is the insight into “cool girl” Charli xcx we’ve all been waiting for, and it’s refreshing to see this side of a pop star shown to us in this particular way. It feels as though this fictionalized version of Charli xcx is more vulnerable and totally herself than any other pop star documentary I’ve ever seen.

It’s also a delightfully shocking surprise to see how much this film is about being a woman in public spaces. This is probably thanks to Brandes, who is well-known for being a staple in feminist print journalism back in the U.K. Move aside, Amy from Gone Girl: Charli xcx is here to show you what an actual cool girl does when she’s pushed to the edge. Without giving too much away, it’s even more humanizing to watch her make a career-altering mistake and have to reconcile with that. No murder needed (kinda).

I’m in the camp that if you loved Brat Summer and never wanted it to be over, The Moment should be a required watch for you. All good things must come to an end, even if you have to kill your darling. And I’m pretty happy to see Charli xcx obliterate Brat and move on with the next chapter in her artistry. —Yonni Uribe

Read more of SLUG’s coverage of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.