The Brat singer isn’t the first pop star to turn to big-screen acting, but she has made an “auspicious start” that demonstrates a “commitment to cinema”.
While fans of her music were obsessing over Brat last summer (the album that became a cultural meme), and cheering her five wins at the Brit awards in March, Charli XCX was quietly building a career as a film actress. She has already shot roles in seven features, and three of them are landing at this autumn’s film festivals. She has small roles in two large ensemble pieces. One Hundred Nights of Hero, a Scheherazade-like gay romance starring Emma Corrin, will be shown at the Venice Film Festival, and Sacrifice, an eco-themed satire starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Evans will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. But the most notable film for her is Erupcja, which has just premiered at Toronto. Here she is the main character – and her choice of roles is telling. Erupcja is not mainstream or musical, but a small, arty film that signals a serious commitment to cinema.
Charli plays Bethany, who is in Warsaw on holiday with her boyfriend, Rob (Will Madden), and who is there with a secret plan. She wants to reconnect with Nel (Lena Gora), an old friend and possibly lover, before she decides whether to marry Rob. It’s a cagey little film that keeps you guessing. Playing the unglamorous Bethany, the actress is believable and a far cry from the brash, confident Charli XCX of stage, music videos and TikTok.
It’s the kind of creative risk not every musician or actor would embrace
It not unusual for musicians to turn to acting, of course. Lady Gaga made a big splash in A Star is Born in 2018 and went on to win praise for her non-musical role in House of Gucci in 2021. A$AP Rocky is dynamic in Spike Lee’s current film Highest 2 Lowest, holding his own in sinister confrontations with Denzel Washington’s character.
What sets Charli’s trajectory apart are her intriguing choices. All three of her festival titles are independent films, and quirky. Erupcja is the quirkiest of all, on screen and off. The director, Pete Ohs, uses a production process he calls a “table of bubbles”, building films out of almost nothing but ideas and collaboration. He starts with an outline, rehearses with actors contributing their characters’ lines, and shoots over just two weeks. A break after the first week’s shoot allows them to assess what they’ve done and plan the next stretch. That quick turnaround makes it easier to fit into a pop star’s packed schedule, but it’s also the kind of creative risk not every musician or actor would embrace.
Courtesy of TiffPopstar Charli XCX stars as Bethany in Erupcja from director Pete Ohs (Credit: Courtesy of Tiff)
