Charli XCX's new film The Moment reviewed as tonally confused.

3 days ago7 min read

Charli XCX’s new A24 film, *The Moment*, lands with the dissonant clang of a synth-pop track that can’t decide if it wants to be a club banger or a ballad. As a music obsessive who lives for the spaces where artistry and artifice collide, this tonal confusion is fascinating.The film, a meta-commentary on pop stardom and authenticity, is undeniably funny in its satirical jabs at the music industry’s hollow machinery—think relentless branding sessions and vapid press junkets played for absurdist laughs. Yet, just as a Charli track might layer a melancholic melody over a hyperpop beat, the film repeatedly swerves into moments of genuine, almost uncomfortable sincerity, wanting us to care deeply about its protagonist’s internal crisis.This push-and-pull creates a unique, if uneven, rhythm. It’s reminiscent of other artist-led projects that grapple with persona, like Beyoncé’s *Lemonade* or Donald Glover’s *Guava Island*, but lacks their cohesive narrative drive.The result feels less like a curated album and more like a shuffled playlist where the emotional whiplash is part of the point, yet also its greatest flaw. For fans, it’s a must-see deep cut into Charli’s evolving mythos, a visual album that challenges as much as it entertains. For the casual viewer, however, it may come off as a stylish but ultimately frustrating experiment that can’t commit to its own chorus.

#Charli XCX

#The Moment

#A24

#film review

#satire

#sincerity

#music

#editorial picks news