ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — …but it is a ton of neon, flashing fun. Read our review of the A24-produced pop star portrait below.

“THE MOMENT” (2026, 103 min., directed by Aidan Zamiri)

It is important to understand but impossible to prepare for how much strobe lighting is in “The Moment.” If I were to build an FAQ about strobe lighting’s relationship to the movie, it would look something like this:

Q. Is it obnoxious?

A. Yes.

Q. Is it in your face?

A. Yes.

Q. How much is there, actually?

A. So much.

Q. Is it also a self-aware stylistic choice reflecting the stress and pressure of the spotlight of fame for Charli XCX?

Yes! Great read, I completely agree.

Let me explain.

“The Moment” stars British dance pop icon Charli XCX as herself… sort of. The film is presented as a documentary about Charli’s first arena tour, following her leap in celebrity after the success of her album “brat.” The movie is cut through with real concert footage and newsreels, as well as scenes with real-life celebrities like Rachel Sennott, Kylie Jenner and Julia Fox, but don’t get it twisted. Those things are just vérité set dressing. “The Moment” is a mockumentary nightmare version of what “brat” could have been, not what is was. In turn, it makes for a refreshingly candid look at a pop star’s fears and anxieties.

The Charli XCX of “The Moment” is nervy, virtually fraying at the edges from her increased fame. The film begins with a strobe-heavy montage of the “brat” phenomenon, bringing audiences up to speed with “brat summer,” Charli’s party girl persona and her increasingly public profile. Charli’s management team is keen on leveraging the moment Charli has found herself in with a massive arena tour. Meanwhile, a concert documentarian is brought on board by her record label to film the show, clashing with the creative vision of the star’s usual crew. As tensions mount and financial stakes escalate, Charli spins out of control, buckling under the pressure to keep “brat summer” going.

(Courtesy: A24) A poster for “The Moment” styled after the album cover for “brat.”

As a music mockumentary, “The Moment” draws immediate comparisons to the late Rob Reiner’s brilliant 1984 comedy, “This Is Spinal Tap.” Yet, just as “This Is Spinal brat” sounds strange and unnatural, “The Moment” is done a disservice by attempting to align it in the tradition of its mockumentary forefather. “Spinal Tap” works so well because of its lack of flashy production. By any measure, it looks like a real documentary, but captures preposterous subjects. In contrast, “The Moment” is filmed with a heightened, intense style, but capture genuine emotional truths about show business. It is not as funny as “Spinal Tap,” or other mockumentaries like “What We Do in the Shadows” or “Best in Show,” but it has more of a dramatic backbone than most of its genre contemporaries.

That is not to say that “The Moment” isn’t funny at all. The aforementioned concert filmmaker is played by Alexander Skarsgård as a faux-feminist heel in a hilariously hateable performance. Sennott and Jenner are also completely in on the joke, toying with their public reputations in standout scenes. There is a repeated gag about a bird trapped in the rehearsal arena, which also serves as an unsubtle metaphor.

That said, most of the movie revolves around Charli having a mental breakdown. With her performance, the singer proves a knack for comic timing, particularly in her facial expressions, but she is even better at conveying deep distress. To return to our discussion about strobe lighting, “The Moment” often looks like a neon green sign pointing at what its subject “should” feel about her success. Each scene transition, for instance, is broken up with a quick array of flashing logos and sponsorships, evidence of the financial boon of “brat.” However, for as bright, energetic and nonstop as the editing is, “The Moment” is counterbalanced with Charli’s descent into paranoia and depression, far less fun than the surrounding neon colors would imply.

As a result, “The Moment” makes itself boldly distinctive as a music mockumentary and a searing mockery of the concert film. “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” this is not.

If only “The Moment” could have kept its clever momentum going until the very end. The movie blinks at the last minute. I don’t know what happened. So much of “The Moment” is so deft at keeping its emotions unspecified, refusing to spell out Charli’s feelings for other characters or for the audience, that it feels like a complete 180 when Charli delivers a lame monologue explaining the thesis of the flick moments before the finale. Though her character in the film is resolute that her music is not meant to be for everyone, the speech at the end succeeds in making “The Moment” as broad as possible.

However, trust Charli XCX to be a 365 party girl. She brings it all full circle before the credits roll with a genuinely hysterical dig at Amazon. “The Moment” is effectively “brat: The Movie,” but don’t be blinded by the strobe lights. There is more happening here than meets the eye.

Rating: 3.5/5