Charli XCX has been making her mark in the music business for over a decade, inclugin with the “Brat Summer” phenomenon following the release of her album brat in June 2024. Now she’s trying something different, starring in a mockumentary about that era of her life and career in the upcoming A24 movie The Moment. The film premiered at Sundance this week, and critics are weighing in on Charli XCX’s acting skills, the movie’s message and that Kylie Jenner cameo.
Charli XCX ‘Has The Chops’ To Lead A Movie
In addition to The Moment, Charli XCX has two other projects premiering at the Sundance Film Festival ahead of their release to the 2026 movie schedule — The Gallerist, a dark comedy thriller with Jenna Ortega and Natalie Portman, and the erotic thriller I Want Your Sex — so the artist’s acting abilities are something critics are definitely paying attention to. According to Ross Bonaime of Collider, she is “wonderful,” as he rates her movie 7 out of 10:
With The Moment, however, Charli gets to be in the spotlight, and she's wonderful here, even if she is playing a different version of herself. Especially in the more frantic, anxiety-inducing moments of the film… Charli sells these moments quite wonderfully. At the premiere Q&A, Zamiri mentioned that Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan was a major influence on the film, and it makes sense that the best parts of The Moment are tied to a similar frenetic energy centered around Charli. It will be interesting to see if Charli is able to handle a major role that isn't based on her life in the future, but The Moment certainly shows that she has the chops.
Monica Castillo of RogerEbert also gives The Moment higher-than-average marks with 2.5 stars out of 4, though she notes it loses momentum about halfway through. Still, it’s got a lead actress giving her all and is full of industry jokes, the critic says, writing:
To her credit, Charli xcx throws herself into the role, playing the part of a mercurial pop star who’s trying to be cool in spite of all the outside forces meddling with her vision. She is her own wild card, quickly changing gears and sending her team scrambling to accommodate each new mandate. At times, she can be off-puttingly selfish, but again, this is the satire world version of Charli, likely standing in for similar stars who, after pouring their energy into a hit-making album, struggle to figure out what’s their next move.
Nick Schager of the Daily Beast isn’t a fan of the movie, commenting that while there may be a message amongst the mess, The Moment has no idea how to convey it. Charli XCX’s efforts are undercut by the work of director/co-writer Aidan Zamiri, according to the critic, who says:
As an actress, Charli is capable of carrying The Moment. Zamiri, however, turns her into such a perpetual moper and malcontent that she makes celebrity look like a drag that isn’t worth the (unseen, at least here) benefits. The film’s familiarity with the complications and headaches of superstardom is considerable, but its plotting is thin to the point of invisibility, with scene after scene going nowhere while stating its ideas out loud.
Speaking of the plot, let’s see what critics are saying about the movie overall.
The Moment Is For ‘Those Devoted To The Charli Cause’
Audiences’ enjoyment of The Moment may be contingent on how much of a fan of Charli XCX they are in the first place. Johnny Oleksinski of the N.Y. Post doesn’t appear to fall in that category, calling the movie a “brat bummer” and giving it 2 out of 4 stars. The critic writes:
If the words ‘I’m so Julia’ mean nothing to you, from the start you’ll be singing a different Charli tune: ‘I Don’t Care!’ If you like Charli xcx’s songs and find her to be a unique and uncompromising presence in the often airbrushed world of pop, you’ll appreciate moments of The Moment. But that’s it. This is not a fully formed movie. At best, it’s a moderately intriguing pitch.
Richard Lawson of THR agrees this “muddled mockumentary” is primarily for the fans. It could have worked more universally if it had leaned into the spoof of it all, Lawson says, but it felt too self-conscious to commit to anything so un-cool. In the end it seems the “Brat Summer” trend was too fleeting to support what The Moment is trying to do. The critic writes:
Mileage will vary, of course. Those devoted to the Charli cause will no doubt get more out of the film than an out-of-touch oldster like myself ever could. But the film probably should have endeavored to be more broadly accessible and entertaining if it wanted to be anything more than a fandom’s supplemental material.
Charli XCX isn’t the only one playing a version of themselves in The Moment, and several critics mentioned the cameo from the youngest sibling in the Kardashian-Jenner family.
Kylie Jenner Has A Cameo In The Moment ‘For No Discernible Reason’
From The Moment’s reviews, it sounds like Kylie Jenner’s role isn’t too big but has a vital effect on the plot. See what critics are saying about the reality TV star’s acting debut:
- [One] sequence also introduces a placidly smiley Kylie Jenner playing herself on seemingly a Valium-Adderall speedball of deluded bounciness. – Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire
- Another cameo by Kylie Jenner oddly comes out of nowhere, then has major implications on the rest of the film for no real discernible reason. – Ross Bonaime, Collider
- [Kylie Jenner’s] cameo is indistinguishable from a KUWTK confessional. – Adrian Horton, The Guardian
- When the pace does slow, the humour and self-doubt mix more successfully; notably in a scene involving Kylie Jenner playing an exaggerated version of herself. – Amber Wilkinson of ScreenDaily
A lot of critics recognize the big swing that Charli XCX is taking by playing a version of herself in a faux account of a very real pop culture phenomenon, and it would seem there’s no better studio than A24 to handle it.
If these critics’ reactions have you intrigued about the project — or if you’re still hanging onto every bit of Brat Summer that you can — you can check out The Moment when it hits theaters Friday, January 30.
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