“Succession” fans have a new reason to celebrate. Jesse Armstrong, the mastermind behind the hit series, returns with Mountainhead, a biting satire that shifts its focus from media moguls to the equally ruthless world of tech billionaires.
Written and directed by Armstrong, this HBO film centers on a weekend poker retreat at a remote mountain estate owned by Hugo (Jason Schwartzman), a tech entrepreneur with a modest net worth of $521 million, struggling to keep up with his billionaire friends. The trio of elite billionaires includes Randall (Steve Carell), a Steve Jobs-like figure known as “Papa Bear,” Jeff (Ramy Youssef), head of a leading AI company and dubbed the “Dark Money Gandalf,” and Venis (Cory Michael Smith), whose social media platform boasts 4 billion users worldwide.
The weekend takes a dark turn as Venis’ latest platform update, Traam, triggers chaos across Asia through viral deepfakes, blurring the line between reality and fabrication. Despite the growing global crisis, the group remains detached and obsessed with their futuristic ambitions, embodying a chilling portrait of tech utopianism gone wrong.
Armstrong’s razor-sharp dialogue exposes their arrogance and delusions, with Smith’s Venis stealing the spotlight as the ultimate tech bro, unfazed by the escalating disaster. His goal is clear: to achieve transhumanism at any cost.
The film explores the loss of empathy among the tech elite, shown through their casual manipulation of world affairs and Venis’ unsettling detachment even from his own family. The narrative hinges on their complex male friendships, filled with rivalry, forced camaraderie, and passive-aggressive barbs, all set against the stark backdrop of a single isolated location.
Mountainhead feels like a modern-day chamber drama, blending sharp political commentary with dark humor. It fits comfortably within HBO’s tradition of topical, actor-driven movies, offering a compelling continuation of Armstrong’s critique of power and privilege.
Unrated by the MPAA, Mountainhead runs 109 minutes and earns three out of four stars.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla#molongui-disabled-link
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla#molongui-disabled-link
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla#molongui-disabled-link
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla#molongui-disabled-link
