A fun movie that ultimately highlights my main gripe with the entire “brat era” phenomenon.
Alexander Skarsgård absolutely steals the show. His performance is the standout, bringing a presence and charisma that elevates every scene he’s in. Generally, I would have liked more scenes that leaned into the mockumentary style the warehouse rehearsal segments were the film’s strongest moments, and I wanted more of that energy.
Starting the film with a Beats logo and a Star Patch logo etc. highlights for me the central problem. Other than the scene of them rehearsing the show in the warehouse, the film feels caught between satire and self-promotion.
My main problem with the movie is that Charlie has, in real life, sold out to major corporations multiple times. Now, to create a mockumentary that heightens what she has actually done—even choosing to highlight real examples like the Magnum ice cream flavour—creates a film where, outside of the warehouse rehearsal scenes with Alexander, everything else feels like it could be real. When parts of the film start to feel uncomfortably authentic, it will suddenly pivot to being self-deprecating, as if hoping that this performative self-critique might absolve the real Charlie of whatever wrongdoing the fictional Charlie is being called out for. And that is my main issue with this film. It feels like a vehicle for self-deprecation and manufactured critique, designed specifically to excuse the real-life parallel events the film depicts. But ultimately, this is a commercial endeavour brought to you by Beats. Oh, and don’t forget to have every label facing the camera!
I would have enjoyed this much more if Charli played an entirely fictitious character, or if another actress had played the role instead. I did enjoy the film, and I think its critiques of the modern pop machine are extremely valid. Before seeing this film in the cinema, we got an ad for the new Billie Eilish film, and I HIGHLY recommend everyone watch that trailer. These movies ABSOLUTELY deserve to be parodied. I just feel there is a fundamental conflict of interest having Charli be the one to make the parody when she herself is very much a vital cog in that very machine.
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