A. G. Cook on Scoring Charli xcx’s ‘The Moment,’ Using ‘Brat’ Songs Sparingly and Why ‘Mulholland Drive’ Was a ‘Very Conscious Influence’

For the score of Charli xcx's mockumentary "The Moment," the logical choice was her longtime collaborator and producer A. G. Cook. While this marks Cook's first feature film composition, his sonic signature is deeply embedded in "Brat," Charli's seminal 2024 album that became a cultural touchstone and provides the narrative backdrop for Aidan Zamiri's film. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival before a limited theatrical release, the film presents an alternate-reality Charli grappling with artistic integrity versus commercial sell-out, pressured by a sinister director played by Alexander Skarsgård. Interestingly, the movie largely avoids using songs from "Brat," instead building its atmosphere through Cook's electrifying original score, which evokes the album's sonic palette without directly quoting it. "Having worked with Charli for so long, the script's fly-on-the-wall portrayal of venues, managers, and tour life felt both vividly real and darkly funny to me," Cook explained to Variety. "In the film, 'Brat' almost haunts Charli's character, which gave me a great opportunity to twist that album's musical colors into something new."

Cook began conceptualizing the score a year prior, initially crafting music before filming had even started. This early work coincided with the Los Angeles wildfires, which altered his travel plans and provided dedicated time to develop themes. Some of these initial compositions, like the track "Dread," were integrated into Charli's live performances at Coachella and Glastonbury, with the latter featuring a dramatic "Brat"-themed backdrop set ablaze. This allowed the music to permeate the consciousness of the cast and crew during production. Cook established strict creative boundaries for himself, notably avoiding the use of Charli's recorded vocals within the score unless they were diagetic—heard from a car radio or during a rehearsal scene. This rule is only broken at the film's conclusion with a subtle, distorted sample of her hit "I Love It," a choice that deliberately severs the connection to "Brat."

The score's emotional core is carefully calibrated, using textures from "Brat"—such as the distinctive bass from tracks like "365"—sparingly and allowing them to disintegrate as the film progresses. Cook, a noted fan of film scores that employ silence, crafted a soundscape that mirrors the movie's awkward, voyeuristic shooting style, oscillating between extreme musical moments and near-total quiet. A significant inspiration was the work of director David Lynch and composer Angelo Badalamenti, particularly following Lynch's passing during the initial scoring period. The ambiguous, slowly shifting chords in "Mulholland Drive," which resist easy emotional categorization, directly influenced Cook's approach, especially in a key monologue scene towards the film's end.

A pivotal moment in the film is its sole, high-impact needle drop: The Verve's 1997 anthem "Bitter Sweet Symphony." This was a deliberate scripted choice to allocate resources for one major synchronization. Cook notes this decision benefitted the score by freeing it from constantly maneuvering around pre-existing pop songs, allowing the original music to build towards a clear crescendo. He intentionally omitted strings from his own compositions so that "Bitter Sweet Symphony" would provide their dramatic introduction. The transition was meticulously crafted, with Cook using original song stems to seamlessly morph his score into the iconic track's opening. This technique of having a needle drop organically "ooze" out of the preceding score is a nuanced approach rarely heard in film.

Looking ahead, Cook is open to more scoring work, provided the projects feel fresh. His own musical output under his name has increasingly leaned into longer, more cinematic structures since his 2020 album "7G," with several tracks already finding use in short films and fashion soundtracks. This natural progression suggests film composition could be a lasting extension of his artistic practice. As for "The Moment," the score stands as a testament to a deep collaborative history, recontextualizing the sounds of a defining pop album into a new, haunting narrative language.