Fred Hayes/HBOSuccession showrunner Jesse Armstrong’s dystopian feature film debut, premiering on HBO, with “timely resonance” in this “high-tech moment.”
What happens if Technology Brothers controls the world? What would they do if they already did it? A satire near Jesse Armstrong’s reality, Mountain Head exposes its thin lines between those who actually hold government power and those who pull the strings behind them. This is the first film written by the creator of the succession, a fantastic drama about its glorious power, capitalism, and family dysfunction, reminding him that he was a writer of pointed political comedies, including its thickness and films in the film. Directored with a smooth, confident illustrative of Armstrong’s experience, Mountain Head moves skillfully into the second absurd black comedy from the first half’s satirical drama.
It’s four big names, a good-faced friend, but focuses on the cutthroat below it. half 1 billion dollars. If inheritance takes a long view of power and media manipulation, the Mountain Head is made to have timely resonance in this high-tech moment. Armstrong began filming the film in March, and it’s here.
Armstrong has a great cast of four characters who have all the agendas over the weekend and try to hide from each other. Jason Schwartzman is Hugo, the host and creator of a meditation app, and is trying to get one of his friends to invest around a billion in his business. Steve Carell is Randy and Washington, DC’s contact information could affect the military and the country’s power grid. Diagnosed with incurable cancer, he cannot believe that money cannot fix it, but he wants to ward off death by having his friend create an artificial intelligence that can upload a human brain. Ramy Youssef is Jeff, and the company has Superefactive Fiftient AI, which seems to be the most humane of the four (this isn’t really said). But the most memorable character is Ven (Cory Michael Smith), the owner of a social media app called Traan. Together, they are technology tycoons such as Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. But Ben evokes sharp, undoubtedly Elon Musk, despite his different appearance and attitude from Smith. Ben is the wealthiest man in the world, owns a social media platform that reaches 4 billion users, and receives a call from the US President (unknown and unprecedented) while in Hugo. The Quick Turnaround will keep the film up to date, even if there is no explicit mention of actual people.
The fictional plot estimates the version of nightmare that the integration of billionaires’ controls could lead in a world where social media outruns journalism and runs Amok. Even before the men arrive over the weekend, we hear news reports of the global conflict caused by misinformation and deep forgery of Tran, the assassination of Tran, a fatal fire in India. Immigrants are being targeted in Libya. The economies of Latin American countries begin to collapse. Sequestered in a hiding retreat on Utah’s peak, and literally placed over it, technology has seen opportunities to drive these dystopian events and gain even more wealth and power.
The man arrives on a private jet, but the film quickly settles into one setting. Hugo’s giant, sterile glass wall home. We are immersed in their frizzy friendship as they seem to ock humiliate each other, and we continue to make caustic statements that have actually hit the nerve in “I’m just a razor.” Armstrong keeps the camera moving fast, so a single setting and a small cast won’t feel claustrophobic.
All actors make their oversized, undesirable characters incredibly awful. Schwartzman frequently plays the Hang Dog characters. This is useful here, as you will quickly intuitively intuitively that Hugo’s bravery embraces his anxiety. As always, Karel has memorably turned from comedy to drama to flash, and his line delivery is super sharp. Armstrong gave him some of the film’s most memorable dialogues. After calling from the White House, who is not satisfied with the obstacles of the world, Rendy says, “The President is a really nice guy and a friend, but he is…”, and before continuing, Carrell says, “He’s a Simple Ton.” It is not an unrealistic sense of his own importance that emphasizes his brother’s arrogant but unrealistic sense, he added, “It has nothing to do with what he says. That’s what we say.” Youssef’s constant expression is perfect for Jeff, who thinks it might actually be possible to work with the government. And Smith’s portrayal of Ven is just right, all the sharp edges and social ignorance.
The tone of the first half is one of the drool wits rather than laughing, absorbing them, but a little obvious. But along the way, the shift in tone is shown by a short, almost slapstick scene where Randy hits a glass door and jumps off the floor. Three men begin to conspire against the fourth one, and the entire fumble executes their dim plan. This last half is lively and there are some laughable moments that come from their incompetence. But under the stupidity and black humor, we still see pure greed and ruthlessness. It’s no wonder there’s a dystopia that shapes its shape under the mountains.
Mountainhead may seem like a rapidly spinning film discussion, but he entertains us with these heartless, too engaging exaggeration that little could do with Armstrong’s keen eyes and intelligence.
Mountainhead will be released on HBO and Max on May 31st.
