I settled in last night to watch Mountainhead, the new HBO film from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong, which hit Max on May 31, 2025. As a huge fan of Succession’s biting humor and savage take on the ultra-rich, I was pumped for this satirical comedy-drama about four tech billionaires holed up in a fancy Utah mansion while the world falls apart. Starring Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef, it’s got all the ingredients for a Succession-style roast—snappy dialogue, A-list talent, and a timely jab at tech bro culture. And yeah, it’s got some hilarious zingers and scary-real moments, but it left me kinda cold. It’s like a great idea for a Succession spin-off that forgot to bring the emotional punch. Here’s why.
Razor-Sharp Dialogue and a Killer Cast
Let’s start with what slaps. Armstrong’s dialogue is as sharp as ever, packed with the kind of vicious, laugh-out-loud insults that made Succession so addictive. These tech bros toss around lines like “frosted Pop-Tart of Palo Alto” and “Cancer was net-net a big positive” that had me cackling. It’s gloriously mean and absurd, like overhearing Elon Musk and his buddies trash-talking over martinis. The film’s set in a sleek, Ayn Rand-inspired mansion called Mountainhead—nice nod to The Fountainhead—and the visuals nail that sterile, ultra-rich vibe with glass walls and snowy Utah peaks. It’s not as lush as Succession’s private jets and penthouses, but it sets the mood perfectly.
The cast is a home run. Jason Schwartzman plays Hugo, aka “Souper,” the “poorest” of the group at a measly $521 million, and he’s perfect as the insecure host desperate to impress his richer pals. His weaselly energy and hangdog looks make you feel his inferiority complex. Cory Michael Smith is Venis, a smug, Elon-esque social media mogul whose AI platform, Traam, is causing global chaos with deepfakes and violence. Smith’s so good at playing this cocky, untouchable jerk—you love to hate him. Steve Carell’s Randall, a Steve Jobs-like “Papa Bear,” is obsessed with cheating death through tech, and Carell flips from funny to unhinged like nobody else. Ramy Youssef’s Jeff, the youngest and slightly less awful of the bunch, brings a sarcastic edge and a hint of a conscience, which Youssef nails with his deadpan delivery.
The setup’s juicy: these four tech bros meet for a poker weekend while Venis’s platform sparks riots and wars worldwide. News reports flash headlines like “Violence Escalates in India” and “President of Uzbekistan Forced to Move,” and it’s chilling how plausible it feels. The film’s at its best when it leans into the absurdity of these guys’ denial—like Randall shrugging off a terminal cancer diagnosis because he thinks the doctor’s “a simpleton.” It’s dark, it’s funny, and it’s scarily close to how real tech titans talk. One review called it “a timely must-watch for Succession fans,” and I get why—it’s got that same eat-the-rich vibe.
All Talk, No Heart
Here’s where it falls apart for me. Mountainhead is so talky—almost two hours of these guys sniping at each other in one mansion—and it gets exhausting. I love a good verbal sparring match, but the film leans too hard on dialogue to carry everything, and it starts feeling like a stage play that’s more about zingers than story. One critic said it “becomes boring” despite being talky, and I felt that by the halfway mark. The plot’s thin: the world’s burning, they bicker, make bad decisions, and things get farcical, but it doesn’t build to much. The ending, without spoiling, feels like a fizzle—more absurd than satisfying.
The characters, while well-acted, don’t have the depth of Succession’s Roys. In Succession, I cared about Kendall’s pain or Shiv’s ambition, even if they were awful. Here, the guys are just awful, period. Jeff’s supposed to be the moral center, but his preachy monologues about what’s wrong feel like the movie telling me how to think instead of letting me feel it. Hugo’s insecurity is fun but doesn’t go anywhere, and Randall’s death obsession feels more like a punchline than a tragedy. Venis is a great villain, but he’s so cartoonishly smug, he’s almost one-dimensional.
The film’s also weirdly disconnected from the world it’s mocking. The global crisis—deepfakes, violence, markets crashing—is all background noise, shown through TV chyrons and phone alerts. It’s topical, sure, but it feels like a sketch of a bigger idea. I wanted more stakes, more sense of how these guys’ actions ripple out. One review pointed out that real tech billionaires are already so open about their “warped psyches” that the satire feels almost redundant, and I kinda agree.
Why It Hit Me (and Didn’t)
I’m all about stories that rip into the powerful, and Mountainhead’s take on tech bros who think they’re gods is right up my alley. The idea that these guys could tank the world while arguing over their billions is terrifyingly real—especially when you think about AI and misinformation today. Lines like “I just want to get us transhuman!” had me laughing but also cringing because, yeah, some tech moguls really talk like that. The film’s quick turnaround—shot in March 2025, out by May—gives it a ripped-from-the-headlines feel that’s both cool and unsettling.
But it didn’t stick with me like Succession did. That show made me love to hate the Roys because they felt human—flawed, messy, relatable. These guys? They’re just unlikeable, and not in a fun way. The film’s so focused on being clever and funny that it forgets to make me care. One review called it “Succession Lite,” and that’s spot-on—it’s got the style but not the soul. I also wish it leaned harder into the visual side; the mansion’s cool, but it’s no match for Succession’s jaw-dropping locations.
Final Thoughts: Fun but Forgettable
Mountainhead is a sharp, funny jab at tech bro hubris with a cast that’s having a blast and dialogue that’ll make you snort. If you loved Succession’s snarky vibe, you’ll eat up the zingers and the eat-the-rich energy. But it’s a one-note satire that doesn’t dig deep enough to leave a mark. It’s like a really good Succession episode stretched into a movie without the emotional weight.
If you’re craving more of Armstrong’s wit or want a quick, biting comedy, it’s worth a watch on Max. Just don’t expect it to hit like Succession did. I’m giving it 2.0 out of 5 stars—great for a laugh, but it’s no game-changer. Maybe Armstrong’s next project will take us somewhere new instead of retreading old ground.