Oh, sweet, merciful Bezos! 🙏 The “Succession” guy, Jesse Armstrong, is back at it again, bless his little heart. He’s rounded up another gaggle of mega-rich, totally-out-of-touch peeps for our viewing pleasure. Because, you know, we haven’t seen enough of that in real life. 🙄
“Mountainhead,” the brainchild of our beloved Armstrong (who apparently also directed it – talk about a control freak!), ditches the cutthroat world of media moguls for the *slightly* less awful power plays of tech billionaires. Because swapping one soul-crushing industry for another is *totally* groundbreaking satire. 🎭
Or, to be precise, three billionaires and one guy who’s merely “rich.” Our host, Hugo (played by the always-adorable Jason Schwartzman), is just a measly $521 million net worth. Poor thing! How does he even afford avocado toast? 🥑 He’s basically slumming it with the “B-nut” crowd.
The real big shots include Randall (Steve Carell), the Steve Jobs-esque “Papa Bear” figure they all worship. Then there’s Jeff (Ramy Youssef), the AI overlord who calls Randall the “Dark Money Gandalf.” Because nothing says “subtle satire” like a “Lord of the Rings” reference. 🧙♂️ And last but not least, we have Venis (Cory Michael Smith), the social media guru whose platform has a casual 4 billion users. No biggie. 🤷♀️
But guess what? Venis’ latest platform update, Traam, is causing a teensy bit of global chaos. 🌎 As our elite quartet gathers at Hugo’s mountain retreat (named after Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead,” because irony is dead), news reports flood in about deepfake-fueled violence sweeping across Asia. Whoops! 🙊
But let’s be real, what matters to these digital overlords is their own little world. “Mountainhead” is a “frightfully credible comedy” (their words, not mine) about the delusions of tech utopianism. Because nothing is more hilarious than watching the world burn while rich people argue about whose private jet is bigger. 🔥
These guys are zealous futurists, except for Jeff, who has some slight hesitation. Randall, upon receiving a fatal diagnosis, throws a tantrum. “All the things we can do and we can’t fix one tiny little piece of gristle in me?” Boo-hoo, cry me a river, rich dude. 😭
The dialogue is “dense” and “highly quotable,” which is code for “pretentious and trying too hard.” Smith’s Venis is the ultimate tech bro, so convinced of his own brilliance that he makes Elon Musk look humble. As the world descends into chaos, Venis remains unfazed. “I just want to get us transhuman!” he yells. Because escaping reality is always the best solution. 🚀
Compassion for humanity? Nah, who needs it? Venis cringes at the mention of his own child, and they treat world politics like a game of Risk. Venis even asks, “Do you believe in other people?” The audacity! 🤯
“Succession” used family drama to deliver its satire, while “Mountainhead” relies on the “bro-styled male friendship.” Because nothing is funnier than watching a bunch of emotionally stunted man-children bicker over room assignments while the world crumbles around them. 💔
The entire film takes place in one location, with picturesque mountain views. It’s basically a play, but hey, at least it’s on HBO. Because who even watches TV movies anymore? 📺
“Mountainhead” is “lean,” “topical,” and a “fine platform for its actors.” It also allows Armstrong to explore timely themes while dropping gems like, “Coup-out the U.S.? That’s a pretty big enchilada.” Profound, I know. 🌟
“Mountainhead” gets three out of four stars. Because apparently, even in satire, we have to be generous. 🤷♀️
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
