In April 2020, right after the world began to go into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pop star Charli XCX announced she would be making an album. This wasn’t just any album though, with Charli admitting she would be making the entire thing in quarantine, mostly by herself. After this announcement came fan collaborations like no other, an album filled with euphoria, and now the documentary Alone Together.
The film begins with an eleven-minute prelude, showcasing a feverish montage of tour clips and music videos playing against voiceovers. Fans and Charli alike continue to describe how they’re feeling during the first lockdown, and how it’s taking a toll on their psyches. The COVID-19 pandemic began right after Charli’s self-titled tour ended, and for many fans, it was one of the last shows they went to. To the “angels” live music and clubbing is a beacon of hope: two hours of partying suspends you in time and transports you to a world where you’re surrounded by like-minded people that make you feel at home. Right before the film begins, Charli is heard saying, “with this new climate brings a new way of creating.”
The film makes it clear that this isn’t just a documentary about the process of making “how i’m feeling now,” it’s also a deeper look into Charli’s personal life. While the artist has always been engaged with her fans, she’s maintained an air of mystery surrounding her relationships and personal matters. Stripped down and showcased on video camera footage, Charli introduces viewers to her boyfriend Huck Kwong, discusses therapy, and converses with her parents. For an artist that keeps her professional and personal life separate, these intimate pieces of her life add some nuance into Charli’s recent songwriting endeavors.
Alone Together never goes deeper than these on the surface retrospections though, and the film ultimately suffers from it. While, yes, it was made in quarantine, the film doesn’t feel quite finished. It’s no shock that the documentary is a debut from directors Bradley Bell and Pablo Jones-Soler, because ultimately, Alone Together is an assortment of clips mashed together that barely even tell a story. One thing that saves it is the collaboration between Charli and her “angels.” Throughout the 70 minute run time, clips of Charli’s fans discussing everything from lockdown to Zoom parties play between sections of the film. These introspections into the artist-consumer relationship are interesting, especially during a time where meet and greets are not possible. Alone Together does a great job at showcasing just how collaborative “how i’m feeling now” was, with fans helping create album art and even the music video for the first single “forever.”
If nothing else, Alone Together gives Charli XCX fans a deeper look into the life of one of the best modern pop stars. Equally tender as it is frustrating, the documentary allows viewers to see just how this prolific album was made, and what it took for Charli to make it. Shot from the beginning of the pandemic to the album’s release party via Zoom, Alone Together is already an important part of history, analyzing the ways creatives dealt with the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. But more than that, the documentary is a love story between Charli and her “angels.” LGBT fans have long found solace in her work, which didn’t stop with her most recent album, and will surely continue once live music makes an official comeback. With “how i’m feeling now,” Charli XCX allowed fans a first-hand look into the album-making process, and with this documentary an intimate look into her world as an artist.
