Mountainhead

"Mountainhead" is the kind of film that clearly could have been something special. The premise carries the weight of mystery and psychological depth, and you can sense that somewhere in there, buried beneath the missteps, is a brilliant story struggling to surface. Unfortunately, what we get instead is a film riddled with mediocre dialogue, undercooked ideas, and character choices that slide from naive into outright dumb.

The central theme had potential to explore something meaningful - maybe a descent into obsession or isolation - but it's hard to stay invested when the script constantly undercuts its own gravity. The male characters are frustratingly unrealistic: wealthy yet clueless to a degree that breaks immersion. Their actions, supposedly driven by ambition or fear, feel more like the product of lazy writing than believable motivation.

The cinematography and atmosphere hint at what the film could have been under stronger direction - moments of eerie tension and visual style do appear. But they're fleeting, drowned out by the clunky pacing and lack of coherence. It's a shame, really, because the bones of a great story are here. They're just never given a chance to shine.

"Mountainhead" isn't unwatchable, but it's a textbook case of wasted potential.

Succession creator Jesse Armstrong directs this timely feature about how unchecked AI and deep fakes could lead real people in real countries to start real turmoil. The world reaches its breaking point just as four tech bros head out on a "no deals (= no business), no meals (= no staff) and no high heels (= no women)" retreat to Mountainhead, one of their luxury abodes in Utah, where they gaslight themselves into insouciance for having society's blood on their hands.

All four narcissists arrive with personal demons. Ven (Cory Michael Smith) wants to go "post-human" to relieve the stress that plagues him as the richest man alive. Randall (Steve Carell) is terminally ill and wants to live forever. Soups (Jason Schwartzman) is an insecure centi-millionaire desperate to crack the billionaires' club. And Jeff (Ramy Youssef) is the young upstart whose conscience weighs him down... although it's unclear whether that's a pre-existing force in his life or just the result of the technology he sells (i.e., guardrails for AI). Regardless, Jeff is the voice of reason and the audience participates through his journey; whatever happens to Jeff can be seen as happening to all of us.

The Succession vibe is felt on every frame, surely by design. Armstrong brings back Nicholas Britell to provide the score, along with many of Succession's executive producers and crew in their respective roles. Since there's no way for a 100-minute film to replicate the nuances that made the show so popular over four full seasons, Mountainhead's cast attempts to re-create the same magic from scratch.

On that front, the actors hold their own. Carell and Schwartzman are as reliable as ever, but Youssef and Smith are the real standouts. They somehow land their lines without getting in each other's way. This is particularly important given the tech-speak that populates the script: boss cock; surpasso; emotionally incontinent; AI dooming; deceleration alarmism; doom-looping; de minimis; 8K photo-real; the antidote to bad tech is good tech... I mean it's an endless stream of rapid-fire gobbledygook--- but you never feel trapped or disoriented as a viewer. I credit that to their preparation as individuals and chemistry as a group.

In terms of the point of the movie, I feel it could have been tightened up somewhat. In one hilarious sequence, a character is pressured by the others to acquiesce to *their plan for *his future: "Smile... show your teeth!" It's a brilliant, meaningful line that gets reiterated a few times, albeit too subtly for my taste. I think it could have been uttered at least once more to emphasize the idea of smiling for the camera while being forced against one's will, and thereby summarizing life under an oligarchy: we're merely pawns in somebody else's game.

Another exchange I enjoyed which reflects the dialogue in the film:

"I just feel if I could get us off this rock it would solve so much!" - Ven

"Well you know, it's a solid starter planet but we've outgrown it, no doubt." - Randall

"I just want to get us transhuman! Life up on grid, Tron biking around, digital milkshakes!" - Ven

"To actually be in Plato's Academy *with Plato!" - Randall

"I just feel like the universe is taking a grip and tearing me apart. Like my torso's getting pulled apart with tremendous force and the emptiness of the galaxy is just rushing in!" - Ven

"Mmm... not good." - Randall

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Whether Elon-Zuck-Bezos actually talk like this is besides the point. The film is fair in marking their priorities, in the same way that insiders claim the satire of Dr Strangelove could have easily happened in real life. To me, we can pursue life "up on grid" when we're dead- I'm sure there's plenty to discover out there lol! But to push into new galaxies at the expense of the world we've been blessed with is self-defeating. Mountainhead is clear about this, as well as the absurdity of rich people having the power to impose their will on the rest of us, plunder the earth and promote chaos in order to bankroll their next project, especially when none of the fruits will even be seen in our lifetimes-

I think this is where they want me to show my teeth.

This movie is masterfully done. The problem is that very, very few people in general can relate to it.

It's billed as a comedy, and it is, but not in the form of jokes or slapstick, but in mocking. The characters are a caricature of tech founders, how they act, talk, etc. And they nailed it absolutely. The underlying theme stitched throughout is how Godlike and smart these people feel they are, while in actuality unable to do even simple tasks.

I've had the displeasure of having known two wealthy tech founders, and every single line and situation reminded me of them, only slightly more absurd of course.

I'm rating it high because I think they absolutely captured the mindset and what a joke they are at face value. But it dawned on me that it's more like an inside joke than something to release a movie about.

I don't understand the negative reviews - thought it was very funny, but also super relevant to the times we're living in where these billionaires really do have all the power. And where AI and social media can be extremely destructive to society and democracy. The cast was fantastic, the characters were super weird, but it's exactly how I imagine the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world to be. At times (mostly in the beginning) it was hard to follow, but that also made it kind of interesting. Like they had their own language that we mere mortals don't speak or understand. Very unique movie, one you should definitely watch.

I thought the movie was great. I don't understand the frequency of negative reviews. Maybe it's the common man's denial of understanding that, in the minds of billionaires, the middle class is as relevant as cockroaches. Or maybe the negative reviews are the result of sabotage by the AI of some billionaire who doesn't want such true representations of his class in a movie.

Another aspect to consider is that the film is, above all, a warning to the common man and the paths that capitalism is taking our lives from now on. I'm still reflecting on the impacts of what I saw and it reminded me a bit of Black Mirror. If you didn't like the film, don't worry. We're already in it in real life.

Y dear middle class citizen, be very afraid.