MOUNTAINHEAD
Starring: Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef
Director: Jesse Armstrong
BODE
It makes perfect sense that Jesse Armstrong’s first post-Succession project would make tech bros a target given how brilliantly he skewered them in that show’s last two seasons. That’s why it’s such a bummer that his directorial debut, Mountainhead, doesn’t really work. Its satire feels empty, its profane dialogue comes off laboured, its characters are insufferably one-dimensional (only Cory Michael Smith manages to add SOME layers), and even when it teases an absurd twist, it doesn’t really go anywhere. I’m sure Armstrong wanted to meet the moment as soon as possible, but he would’ve been better off letting it stew instead.
KATIE
Jesse Armstrong co-wrote and created both my favourite sitcom and TV drama, so in this context, it was fun to see how he’d tackle his debut feature. It’s definitely flawed, but the dialogue is zingy, the performances are hilarious, and I laughed out loud many times. It’s hyper-satirical in a similar vein to Succession, but it's driven more by the compelling dialogue than character development or plot. I didn’t mind this at all as a fan of Armstrong’s writing and blunt style of comedy. Mountainhead seems to continue a theme in Armstrong’s work that could be summarised as “these people are idiots.”
ROBERT
When the world goes to Hell, who can you trust but the billionaire tech moguls? That is what the four Horsemen of the App-ocalypse believe in Mountainhead, the debut film effort of Succession’s Jesse Armstrong and the brain trust behind the popular HBO dramedy. If you like that show, its aesthetic and character templates of dumb rich guys making decisions that impact the world are on full display. However, it equates to, mostly, absorbing news and fake news and having it relayed amongst the four leads as they blather about how to move humanity into the future. There simply isn’t time to grow to like the characters, and thus, it feels cold.
QUENTIN
Seemingly, I’m one of the few people who didn’t enjoy Succession. For various reasons, it was a prestige drama that just didn’t work for me; however, I was intrigued about how a similarly satirical take from Succession’s creator would look as a comedy. Turns out, I didn’t like Mountainhead either. It feels a lot like a stage play adapted to the screen, which eventually becomes tedious. Even worse, though, is that the four characters all come across as various versions of Elon Musk, and spending nearly two hours with four Musks is as abysmal and unfunny as you would think, especially given the “too soon” factor.
