Name: At the Moment
Genre: Drama
Released: 2023-11-10T00:00:00+00:00

The neon glow of a convenience store sign flickers across Hsu Pei-ming’s face as he stares at his phone screen, thumb hovering over a contact. This moment of digital hesitation—captured in crisp, intimate close-up—opens At the Moment, Du Zheng-zhe and Lien Yi-chi’s 2023 Netflix anthology series about love during the pandemic. The image perfectly encapsulates the show’s central tension: the push-and-pull between human connection and modern isolation.

Set against the backdrop of Taipei’s rain-swept streets and dimly lit apartments, At the Moment unfolds as ten distinct but interconnected stories of passion and heartache. Each episode functions as a standalone narrative, yet together they form a mosaic of resilience amid global crisis. The series’ strength lies in its specificity—both geographic and emotional. Unlike broad pandemic dramas that lean into melodrama (The Flight Attendant‘s COVID arc comes to mind), At the Moment grounds its stories in quiet, often painful realism.

The standout segment, “The Moment,” directed by Lien Yi-chi, follows Dee Hsu’s Chang Wei-hsi, a struggling musician whose career implodes when her label pivots to viral trends. The mockumentary format allows for sharp satire—like the jaw-dropping moment where Wei-hsi’s hair falls out mid-performance—but it falters in its pacing, rushing through emotional beats that beg for deeper exploration. Hsu delivers a standout performance, particularly in scenes where her character’s vulnerability clashes with industry pressures. The episode’s strongest moments come when it leans into the absurdity of pop culture machinery, echoing Charli XCX’s The Moment (2026) in its critique of celebrity exploitation.

Vivian Sung Yun-hua delivers a career-best performance as a cancer patient navigating love and mortality. In the episode “Love in the Time of Cholera”, her quiet intensity transforms mundane dialogue into something achingly poetic. A particular standout is the scene where her character sits on a hospital balcony, rain pattering against the glass as she reads a letter from Pei-ming. Sung Yun-hua’s subtle facial expressions convey volumes about grief, hope, and the fragility of human connection.

The series’ originality shines in its refusal to romanticize the pandemic. Shots of masked strangers glimpsed through rain-streaked windows or characters staring at their phones in dimly lit apartments capture the era’s disconnection beautifully. The cinematography often employs tight framing and natural lighting, creating an immersive sense of intimacy. However, some episodes struggle with tonal consistency—like “The Greatest Showman” parody segment, which undercuts its satire with overly broad humor.

Austin Lin as Hsu Pei-ming offers a compelling performance, particularly in scenes where his character grapples with guilt and longing. His chemistry with Sung Yun-hua is palpable, making their digital interactions feel as charged as any physical encounter. On the other hand, Gingle Wang’s role in “The Algorithm of Love” feels one-note, her arc reduced to a tired trope about dating apps and loneliness.

Where At the Moment truly excels is in its exploration of love’s many forms—romantic, familial, platonic—and how these connections are tested by isolation. The episode featuring Terrance Lau Chun-Him as Chen Chun-pin, a delivery driver forming an unlikely friendship with an elderly customer (Esther Liu), stands out for its warmth and authenticity. Their scenes together are some of the most emotionally resonant in the series.

The anthology structure allows for both brilliance and missteps. While episodes like “The Moment” and “Love in the Time of Cholera” soar, others feel uneven or rushed. The pacing issues are particularly noticeable in segments that attempt to cram too much narrative into a limited runtime. Additionally, some stories rely too heavily on familiar tropes, such as the meet-cute or the grand romantic gesture, which undercuts their emotional impact.

At the Moment is not without its flaws, but it’s a series that demands attention. Its willingness to explore the messy, often painful realities of love during crisis makes it a standout in the crowded field of pandemic-era storytelling. The show is particularly suited for viewers who appreciate character-driven dramas with a focus on emotional authenticity over flashy spectacle.

In an era dominated by binge-worthy thrillers and escapist fantasies, At the Moment offers something rarer: a deeply human examination of connection in isolation.