Charli xcx (Herself) has a busy schedule because of an album that finally gets her her deserved fame. Because of Brat, her life now is full of adjustments, promotional videos, sacrifices from her and her small team. Part of Brat is a push from a record executive (Rosanna Arquette) to, understandably, take herself on tour. Rehearsals are not going well, but when it rains it pours for arguably the popstar for late millennials. Somehow, she has a partnership with a bank that wants to sell credit cards to a younger demographic. This fictional, indecisive version of Charli is also collaborating with a comically out of touch filmmaker (Alexander Skarsgard).

Everyone has a different idea of what a pop girl film is, even the critics I watched this with. Most critics I saw this with were old enough that they were comparing this to Truth or Dare. My references are slightly younger and I expected Renaissance or Savage X Fenty – vibes cinema, but Charli style. Specifically, I expected a cocaine high, whatever that may be, but this feels more like This is Spinal Tap/ Wayne’s World but with neck breaking zooms. A critique of capitalism coming from a woman who knows and has ambivalent feelings about being a product. A scene in The Moment distills some of its themes as Charli consents to something she’s ambivalent to.

The Moment has great ideas although there are some aspects of this fictionalization that I don’t 100% buy. There’s a scene where fictional Charli crashes out because people keep asking her how she wants to portray herself. This feels opposite to my impression of a woman with a distinct perspective, necessary for someone like her. But then again, this film both goes and doesn’t go with the stereotype of a popstar vs. her handlers. This version of Charli is big enough to have creative control, which in itself is an overwhelming position. Also, I’m older than her and I don’t know what I want which makes her kind of relatable.

A movie about the inability to choose, The Moment, perhaps on purpose, has some great choices behind it. This isn’t my first Charli xcx film – she wasn’t vain during Alone Together (a simpler film) and she still isn’t now. Someone needs to pay me a lot of money to look ugly next to Kylie Jenner, but she does it. Although there is a hall of mirrors effect as Charli looks like she’s having a bad day while Jenner looks artificial. XCX, as well as her writers Aidan Zamiri (also the film’s director) and Bertie Brandes are playing 4D chess with their viewers in this film. It seems like she’s relinquishing control to other people, but I won’t give away her reasons why.

The Moment is available to watch in select Canadian theatres.