Moment By Moment – Genesis Cinema

First performed as a concert in 2013, Alexander Sage Oyen’s song cycle Moment By Moment has made it to the big screen courtesy of director Louis Rayneau. Following ten different characters in New York City, Moment By Moment explores universal experiences including love, loss, and self-discovery through Oyen’s eclectic score. 

The movie features a stellar cast, including Cassidy Janson, Chloe Saracco, and Cleve September, and it starts strong by introducing the ten characters via the titular group number. Featuring frenetic shots of the iconic New York cityscape interspersed between scenes of the characters interacting and dancing, it’s an energetic opening that seems to set the movie up for success. Starting in black and white, moments of colour gradually emerge, and this is a technique deployed throughout the film (to varying degrees of effectiveness).

Sadly, Moment By Moment doesn’t maintain its initial momentum, and the subsequent musical numbers feel entirely disconnected from one another. There are no clear relationships established between the characters, and some of the characters (such as Katie Tonkinson’s Lydia) sing multiple songs that don’t tie together in any meaningful way.

The first solo number, performed by Ross Harmon as Tommy, is promising. Delving into his self-esteem issues stemming from childhood, there’s some clever editing and superb choreography that really adds depth to Oyen’s lyrics. Unfortunately, too many of the numbers lack the same visual intrigue, instead featuring too many instances of the actors simply singing while looking into the distance. While this would be effective on stage, a film doesn’t have the same intrinsic connection with its audience as live theatre does, so these moments become repetitive rather than powerful. It feels more like a collection of music videos stitched together, rather than a feature film.

As for the songs themselves, they’re largely very good, albeit with some clunky lyrics peppered throughout (a rather ‘pick-me’ love song by Saracco’s character and a clichéd song about a girls’ night out are the worst offenders). The talented cast deliver the numbers expertly, but there’s unfortunately not much more to Moment By Moment than that. I can see this song cycle coming to life on stage, but it was a strange choice to turn it into a film – a choice that never quite pays off.

Reviewer: Olivia Cox

Reviewed: 19th October 2026

North West End UK Rating: