Charli XCX Poised to Move Beyond Brat at Sundance Premiere of The Moment

24 January 2026

Charli XCX at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 23, 2026. Dia Dipasupil/Getty

At the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, British pop icon Charli XCX stood in the spotlight not to relive the past but to declare a new chapter in her creative journey. With the premiere of her mockumentary The Moment drawing a crowd of industry peers, critics, and fans alike, Charli spoke candidly about her relationship with her 2024 Grammy-winning album Brat and her readiness to explore new artistic terrain. The energy surrounding her appearance was electric, yet beneath the buzz was a sense of purposeful evolution as Charli sought to redefine herself beyond a body of work that had, for a time, represented both triumph and constraint.

Charli’s comments at Sundance were refreshingly frank. She acknowledged that while Brat remains an important and cherished part of her career, she was eager to shift her focus and creative energy toward projects that take her well outside its sonic and thematic landscape. “Right now, unlike me in the film, I am sort of really wanting Brat to stop,” she told the audience of reporters and festival attendees. “I want to pivot as far away from it as possible.” Her words were not an indictment of the album itself, which she emphasized she still loves, but a reflection of an artist hungry to be challenged and transformed by new experiences and collaborations.

The Moment, which combines elements of satire and reality in a mockumentary format, offers a playful yet insightful look at the whirlwind of fame and creative pressure that often accompanies sudden cultural ascendance. The film follows a fictionalized version of Charli as she grapples with the aftermath of a wildly successful tour and the competing demands of artistic authenticity and public expectation. Its premiere at Sundance on January 23 drew considerable attention, not least because it allowed Charli to embody and confront the very persona that Brat had helped establish. The film’s cast includes notable performers such as Alexander Skarsgård, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Rachel Sennott, and Jamie Demetriou, whose performances and interactions add texture and nuance to this intriguing blend of humour and introspection.

Standing before the press and festival crowds, Charli made it clear that her creative ambitions extend far beyond music. She has already lined up multiple film roles, with appearances in Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex and Cathy Yan’s The Gallerist, both of which also premiered at Sundance. These ventures reflect her growing confidence in navigating the world of film not merely as a musical performer turned actor, but as a multifaceted artist capable of living entirely different lives on screen and off. Her choices signal a deliberate pivot toward storytelling in its many forms, and her excitement about this expansion was palpable.

Charli also spoke about her desire to work with directors who push her creatively. She praised filmmakers like Aidan Zamiri, who directed The Moment, as well as Araki and Yan, for providing environments where she can stretch artistically and explore facets of herself that might never have emerged within the confines of her pop persona. “I really just want to work with these incredible directors,” she said, “people who I feel like I can live completely different lives with.” The collaborative spirit of these efforts suggests a creative renaissance that is as much about personal growth as it is about professional diversity.

Beyond acting, Charli has also been busy in other creative arenas. She wrote and performed an original soundtrack for the upcoming film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which is set for release in February 2026. In addition, she collaborated with other acclaimed artists on music for Mother Mary, a film by director David Lowery. These projects illustrate her willingness to immerse herself in varied creative contexts, from film scoring to narrative performance, and highlight her refusal to be defined by a single genre or medium.

The reaction to Charli’s remarks and her Sundance presence has been overwhelmingly positive. Fans who have followed her trajectory from underground pop provocateur to mainstream star greeted her evolution with enthusiasm and admiration. Industry observers have noted that her transition into film and multimedia projects could serve as a model for other artists seeking to expand their artistic footprint beyond music alone. Charli’s willingness to confront the persona associated with Brat and to publicly articulate her desire for reinvention resonates deeply in an era where artists are increasingly expected to remain fluid and adaptable.

Yet Charli’s comments were not solely about leaving Brat behind. They also underscored her belief that artistic evolution is essential for sustained creative fulfilment. Brat may have catapulted her to new heights, but Charli views her future as an open canvas, rich with possibility and unbounded by past success. As she continues to navigate this new chapter whether through film roles, collaborations with visionary directors, or soundtracks that defy categorization Charli XCX is staking her claim as one of her generation’s most dynamic and multifaceted creative voices. Her journey at Sundance is not just a moment of reflection on past achievements but a bold proclamation of artistic reinvention and ambition.