I thought I knew where HBO Max's new movie "Mountainhead" was going by about the 20-minute mark. And I've never been more delighted to be wrong.
The biting comedy from "Succession" creator Jesse Armstrong, a writer highly skilled at delivering sharp satire and repulsive yet undeniably compelling characters, shares a lot of similarities with HBO's acclaimed drama series.
Both follow the intricate inner workings of the world of the super-rich, but where "Succession" sprinkles dark humor throughout its interpersonal drama, "Mountainhead" embraces comedy with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. A fact that becomes crystal clear in its third act, which, in a surprising turn, trades all the verbal jousting and quips for ghoulish slapstick befitting a "Three Stooges" sketch.
"Mountainhead" is now available to stream on HBO Max, and I had such a great time with it that I've already watched it twice: first on my own and then once again with friends whom I just had to share it with.
Somehow, Armstrong's least likable characters yet are some of his most entertaining. "Mountainhead" follows a slimy group of billionaire tech bros who take in the downfall of civilization on their phones as they trade schoolyard jabs and plans for global domination at their remote weekend retreat.
It's enough to make your skin crawl, seeing how cartoonishly evil these idiots are. But it's still deeply satisfying watching a writer as skilled as Armstrong craft these characters with such unsettling believability, only to then spend just over 100 minutes relentlessly skewering them.
Here's everything you need to know about "Mountainhead" and why I think it's worth adding to your watchlist.
Say hello to the worst people you'll ever meet
"Mountainhead" follows four obscenely wealthy tech giants who reunite for a poker night at a weekend retreat while the world burns.
Why is it burning, you ask? (Or at least, more than usual). Well, a last-minute addition to the guest list, social media titan and richest man in the world Venis (Cory Michael Smith), pushed out new features to his X/Twitter analogue that triggered worldwide chaos as deepfake videos go viral and incite mass violence and panic.
Joining him are Randall (Steve Carell), a fading financial guru with a terminal cancer diagnosis he refuses to accept; Hugo Van Yalk, a.k.a. “Soup” (Jason Schwartzman), a "mere" multi-millionaire desperate to earn his first billion; and Jeff (Ramy Youssef), the group’s comparatively progressive developer friend behind a rival AI company that could be the cure to Venis' screw-up.
"Mountainhead" clearly sets up the chess pieces as these four forces come together. Shots of Soup trying (and failing) to sound cool while practicing his sales pitch for his mental health app, Randall arguing with his doctor, and Jeff struggling with his relationship outline the stakes for each outside of their fortunes in a way that builds intrigue.
What unfolds is nearly two hours of increasingly absurd drama, a tightly wound chamber piece that thrives on talk-heavy scenes and razor-edged wit. Just when you think these idiots couldn't possibly get more pathetic or unhinged, the movie goes off the rails in a big way in the third act. Delivered with relish by a pitch-perfect cast, the biting script crackles, and it’s this darkly comic alchemy that makes "Mountainhead" such a delight to watch.
Stream 'Mountainhead' on Max now
"Mountainhead's" satire isn't subtle by any means. It's over 100 minutes of mercilessly lampooning billionaires with clear analogues to real-world tech giants and their power to pull the strings behind global events.
But the sharper critique lies in just how fundamentally unremarkable these men are. Strip away the money, and there’s nothing left but mediocrity. Hugo is a coward, constantly seeking approval from his ultra-rich friends who merely tolerate him. Venis is a preening, arrogant dork—possibly a sociopath, certainly a narcissist.
Meanwhile, Randall, the oldest of the bunch, is drowning in his own insecurities and fading relevance, desperate to find immortality "on the grid" with whatever time he has left but can't even boil an egg.
Jeff, the least worst of the bunch but still objectively awful, is given some space to shine. He's intermittently funny and oddly likeable, enough that you almost forget his company's AI filter could put a stop to the chaos from Venis' app at any time. But even he, in the end, is just another insecure poseur playing at being a king.
In case it wasn't already clear, there are no good guys in "Mountainhead." But it's no less entertaining for it. If you're up for spending nearly two hours with insufferable tech titans mining laughs from even its darkest, most despicable moments, then this is one to watch.
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