Pop star chaos meets arthouse cinema — and apparently, it didn’t require much preparation.
Charli XCX turned heads at the Berlin Film Festival press conference for her Brat-inspired mockumentary, The Moment, joking that she had been “Method from the day I was born” to play the role.
And honestly? It fits.
🎬 A Hyper-Real Version of Charli
The Moment stars Charli as an exaggerated, alternate-reality version of herself. The film follows her during the build-up to her Brat tour, where she grapples with a familiar creative dilemma: stay true to her artistic instincts or lean into a more commercial, polished persona.
Things spiral when a sinister filmmaker — played by Alexander Skarsgard — is hired to document her tour, turning what should be a celebratory concert film into a psychological showdown.
The ensemble cast includes Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, Rish Shah, Kylie Jenner, and Rachel Sennott — giving the project a mix of indie credibility and pop-culture flair.
🎭 “I Had a Lot to Draw On”
At the press conference, Charli admitted that parts of the character hit very close to home. She joked about having real-life meltdowns — even referencing dramatic moments in the back of a tour van — and said the role didn’t require much external research.
“I’ve definitely reacted in ways like I do in the film,” she shared, laughing.
The singer also revealed that several characters were loosely inspired by real figures she’s encountered throughout her years in the music industry.
In other words, fiction — but barely.
🌍 From Sundance to Berlin
The Moment premiered at Sundance earlier this year before heading to U.S. theaters, where it quickly became A24’s fastest-selling limited release in history. More than 50 screenings reportedly sold out, with a large portion of the audience under 35 — a clear reflection of Charli’s core fanbase.
Its Berlin premiere adds an international edge to the project. Charli praised the festival for spotlighting politically bold and socially relevant cinema, saying she wants to work within those creative spaces as she explores filmmaking further.
For someone “just starting out” in film, she already sounds invested in the long game.
💔 Is the ‘Brat’ Era Officially Over?
Perhaps the biggest headline from Berlin wasn’t about acting technique — it was about closure.
When asked whether The Moment marks the end of the Brat era, Charli didn’t hesitate.
“For me, it’s over,” she said plainly.
In the film, her character symbolically “kills” the Brat persona, freeing herself from that chapter. According to Charli, the mockumentary was always intended to serve as the final punctuation mark of the album cycle.
No nostalgia. No dragging it out. Just a clean break.
🎯 Final Words
Charli XCX playing Charli XCX — but heightened, fractured, and self-aware — might be the most on-brand artistic move she could make.
The Moment isn’t just a mockumentary. It’s a creative autopsy of a pop era that defined a cultural moment.
And if Charli’s Berlin comments are anything to go by, she’s already mentally onto the next reinvention.
Because in her world, the only constant is transformation.
