Just as the neon-green streak of “Brat” summer begins to settle into the cultural archive, Trew Mullen has emerged to capture its frantic, high-gloss energy on screen. In the early 2026 A24 release “The Moment,” Mullen stars as Ana, the type-A, hyper-vigilant personal assistant to pop icon Charli XCX. While the film is billed as a meta-mockumentary following Charli’s debut arena tour, it is Mullen’s portrayal of the “adult in the room” that provides the narrative’s grounded center. After a breakout turn in Zoë Kravitz’s “Blink Twice,” Mullen is proving to be Hollywood’s most reliable “It Girl” stabilizer—an actress with a preternatural ability to hold her own against the industry’s most explosive creative forces.
The Architecture of Control: Portraying Ana
In The Moment, Mullen’s character, Ana, is tasked with maintaining the “illusion of control” as Charli’s fictionalized world begins to tilt toward the surreal. The film, directed by frequent Charli collaborator Aidan Zamiri, explores the pressures of sudden, overwhelming fame and the commodification of artistry. Mullen describes Ana as a woman who thrives on being “one step ahead of the narrative,” a role that required her to balance a sharp, professional exterior with a deep-seated fear of the mask falling off. To prepare, Mullen dove into the Brat album with a new perspective, seeking to understand the tension between a public persona and the internal “messiness” it often hides.
Mullen’s performance has been praised for its “internal imagination,” a skill she honed by creating a detailed, off-script history for Ana to justify her hyper-vigilance. She views the character not as a background player, but as a sentinel protecting the boundary between a celebrity’s autonomy and the industry’s demands. This “observant and reserved” energy mirrors Mullen’s own self-described nature in social situations, allowing her to bring a “lived-in” authenticity to the high-stakes chaos of a global pop tour.
From “Blink Twice” to the A24 Spotlight
Before boarding the Brat train, Mullen made waves as the “perpetually stoned” Heather in Zoë Kravitz’s 2024 directorial debut, Blink Twice. The contrast between Heather’s hazy, island-bound nonchalance and Ana’s manic, type-A precision in The Moment highlights Mullen’s impressive range. She recalls the “whirlwind” casting process for the A24 project, which involved a “wacky” self-tape sent while she was exhausted—a relatable industry moment that ultimately caught the eye of Zamiri and Charli herself.
Her transition from indie thrillers to high-concept mockumentaries has been seamless. Working alongside a heavy-hitting ensemble that includes Alexander Skarsgård, Kylie Jenner, and Rachel Sennott, Mullen has solidified her status as a “zeitgeist savant.” She speaks of the filming experience with Charli as “freeing” and “genuine,” noting that the pop star’s work ethic is as intimidating as it is inspiring. Despite the meta-satire at play, Mullen’s goal was to ensure Ana felt grounded, providing a necessary foil to the film’s more “funhouse mirror” elements.
The Artist Behind the Actor: Poetry and Screenwriting
Beyond her filmography, Mullen is a multifaceted artist who views acting as just one form of self-expression. Often found writing poetry or developing her own screenplays, she brings a writer’s eye to her roles, frequently interrogating the “why” behind her characters’ actions. This intellectual approach to her craft is perhaps why her performances often feel more layered than the typical supporting role; she isn’t just delivering lines, she is “building worlds” for her characters to inhabit.
As 2026 progresses, Mullen is leaning further into this creative control. She has expressed a desire to move toward protagonist roles where she can explore “adversity and resilience” from the center of the story. Her background in indie horror and suspense—including a lead role in the digital cult favorite Sunny Family Cult—has prepared her for the physical and emotional demands of leading a major production. For Mullen, the goal is not just stardom, but “artistic integrity” and the ability to be selective about the stories she tells.
The 2026 Slate: “Callback” and Future Projects
The success of The Moment has opened doors to a packed 2026 and 2027 schedule. Mullen is set to star in the upcoming indie film Callback, joining a powerhouse cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Willa Fitzgerald, and Carla Gugino. While details remain under wraps, the project is expected to continue her streak of working with prestigious directors and complex ensembles. Additionally, rumors have begun to circulate regarding her potential involvement in several upcoming prestige television reboots, further cementing her as a fixture of the modern streaming era.
Whether she is playing a hyper-organized assistant or a survivor of a tech billionaire’s island, Trew Mullen remains “exactly where she is supposed to be.” She approaches her rising fame with a “grounded” perspective, often citing her decade-long climb through the industry as the source of her stability. As she moves into her next chapter, Mullen is no longer just “having a moment”—she is defining one, proving that the best way to control the narrative is to be the one who knows it best.
