Mountainhead, the latest film from Jesse Armstrong, the creator of Succession, takes a hard-hitting satirical look at the tech elite with a comedic edge. Departing from the dramatic tones of his previous series, Armstrong opts for a bleak yet funny approach akin to his earlier work in The Thick of It and In the Loop.
Set in a lavish mountain mansion owned by the wealthy Hugo (Jason Schwartzman), the story follows him and three billionaire friends during a poker weekend that quickly spirals into chaos. The friends—social media mogul Venis (Cory Michael Smith), AI entrepreneur Jeff (Ramy Youssef), and venture capitalist Randy (Steve Carell)—find themselves grappling not only with their own egos but also with the catastrophic effects of their actions on the world. A new generative AI feature in Venis’ platform has inadvertently incited global unrest, leaving the men oblivious to the dire consequences of their wealth and influence.
Among the characters, the stark contrast between Jeff, who possesses a certain charisma, and the others highlights the emptiness that wealth brings. Armstrong’s dialogue is sharp, exposing the shallow humor and moral vacuity of these tech titans. The characters engage in self-serving banter, often revealing their own incompetence and denial of reality, such as Venis questioning whether other people actually exist, underscoring their profound disconnect from the world.
The film’s narrative draws attention to the dangers of losing touch with reality in an age dominated by technology, where the characters are depicted as inept and incapable of learning from their mistakes due to their insulated status. While the bleakness of the film may leave some despairing, the humor woven throughout offers moments of levity. Armstrong’s keen observations urge viewers to see the absurdity of these figures, encouraging laughter as a form of resistance against the status quo.
Ultimately, Mountainhead serves as a cautionary tale that, despite the darkness surrounding these characters, there remains a glimmer of hope that acknowledging their faults can lead to a better understanding of the power dynamics in play.