A24 has produced a number of critical and commercial hits during its rise over the last decade or so, Charli XCX’s The Moment just set a record for them. The musician’s upcoming film became the studio’s fastest-selling limited release to date after its original premiere at Sundance.
However, despite the enthusiasm, the film is attracting middling reviews from critics so far. As it stands, The Moment has a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes from a few dozen critics, putting it in the “Rotten” category that has a 60% cutoff.
The catch here is that if this is squarely aimed at Charli XCX’s fanbase, it’s possible, if not likely, that audiences reception and scores would be higher. We won’t know that until its wide release on February 6, a week from now, but it’s in a unique position.
The film’s concept is an odd one. The Moment is a mockumentary of her own career and “Brat” tour, where her central struggle is to “stay true to her music” or become more commercial. It does star another big name, Alexander Skarsgard, as a “sinister director.” The real director is Aidan Zamiri, a music video director who has worked with Billie Eilish, PinkPathress, FKA Twigs and of course, Charli XCX, doing her 360 and Guess videos.
This is not Charli XCX’s acting debut. She appeared in movies like Erupcjia, Sacrifice, 100 Nights of Hero and the newly praised I Want Your Sex. She’ll be in the upcoming Faces of Death remake, as well. Her turn to acting is relatively recent, however, as all those projects are in 2025/2026. We’re starting to see more modern pop stars branch into film. Most recently, Gracie Abrams (daughter of director JJ Abrams, which helps), will make her acting debut in Please, from the director of Bodies Bodies Bodies. The studio is, you guessed it, A24.
I don’t think box office expectations are terribly high for The Moment, no doubt produced cheaply, and mockumentaries aren’t exactly raking in the cash, usually. It does sound like an interesting concept, even if critics aren’t wild about it, and fans of the artists will probably like it a lot more than most, giving them flashbacks to “brat summer,” but with a fictional twist. The Moment will be released on February 6, and we’ll see how it does once fans start showing up.
Follow me on Twitter and YouTube.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2026/01/29/charli-xcxs-the-moment-arrives-with-a-disappointing-rotten-tomatoes-score/
