Diary of a Happy Goth

Charli xcx’s 2026 mockumentary The Moment was introduced by epilepsy and flashing light warnings. As I strolled into Cineworld York, popcorn in hand, I was greeted by multiple posters warning me of intense flashing lights and overwhelming use of colour. Luckily I am not sensitive to sensory overloads, so I entered with confidence expecting the party gal mockumentary of a lifetime. 

The introduction was cinematic, Brat blaring and lights flashing as Charli xcx dances in a watery room. Exciting fonts flash and electric colours pop as the audience is transported to the world of a party girl. The sequence ends introducing the other side of the mockumentary, with awkward British humour Charli xcx’s disdain and tiredness is revealed. We know what we’re expecting: a sensory overload entwined with the deadpan comedy of arena tour rehearsals gone wrong. She can’t seem to compete with the perfect, put-together lives of celebrities like Kylie Jenner or fit in with the pretentious creatives thrust her way. 

The pretentious filmmaker Johannes fits particularly well with the awkward British humour, since his outrageous and forward comments juxtapose Charli and Celeste’s uncomfortable British politeness despite their annoyance. He takes over, intending to build a more family-friendly version of Brat adorned with sequins and Charli flying through the sky. 

The unprecedented takeover of the Brat idea and image in summer 2024 is satirised, but in many instances reveals the genuine commercial stress of maintaining its popularity in a competitive, capitalist industry. Of course, the film is no political diatribe or social commentary, but it does deal with burnout and expectation reasonably well, despite the context’s lack of relatability: we’re not all dealing with pop stardom and jetting off to Ibiza to solve it. 

My favourite scene in the film must be Charli and Kylie Jenner’s interaction in the corridor of a classy Ibiza wellness hotel. Charli is dishevelled, shoulders clenched, dark circles pulsing beneath her eyes, and she’s escaping from a disastrous holistic facial treatment where the lady performing it insults her, and refuses to give her the treatment altogether. Charli’s, I suppose ‘Realist’, and pessimistic outlook on her situation is misaligned with the false-positivity of this holistic experience. Bumping into Kylie, whose skin is flawless, hair perfect and demeanour wholly relaxed and positive, Charli dreads the interaction. Kylie says she is on her way to see the holistic facial treatment specialist, who she deems to be amazing, life-changing and incredible. Charli had the opposite experience. This episode to me is a strong attempt at satirising the falsity of perfection and the reality of long-term burnout. The visual contrast between Charli and Kylie’s physicality was spotlighted and gives rise to comparison and doubt. 

I didn’t think the film was groundbreaking, and I am inclined to agree with the film’s criticism as “shapeless” and “low-stakes.” The film wasn’t expected to break any boundaries or change the mockumentary genre forever, and the central dilemma isn’t incredibly serious. The worst that could happen is Johannes takes over completely and builds Brat Live!, which he does, and the humour exists in the critical acclaim that the show receives. The film was enjoyable, engaging and something I found genuinely funny. Why does it need to be more than that?