Mountainhead (2025) is written & directed by Jesse Armstrong. It stars Steve Carell, Cory Michael Smith, Ramy Youssef, Jason Schwartzman, Daniel Oreskes, Hadley Robinson, David Thompson, Ali Kinkade, and Ava Kostia. The story revolves around four of the world’s wealthiest tech CEOs who meet at a remote mountain retreat for a weekend of much-needed fraternal bonding. Unfortunately, their fun is soon hindered by a slew of tragic events resulting from the recent release of a powerful deepfake app that one of them created. While one person sees this as a signal that they’ve gone too far, the other three see it as an opportunity to seize further global power. This shifts their weekend of fun into a summit of dysfunctional billionaires (and one multi-millionaire) who fancy themselves the world’s future leaders. The problem is, they don’t seem to realize that being good at creating tech doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good at doing anything else. 

The four performances here are absolute dynamite. They impressively balance the film’s darkly comedic tone, resulting in characters who are satirical but still feel like authentic human beings. Even when they don’t feel like real people, it’s specifically to highlight the dangers of allowing such individuals to wield immense power. The film only goes one step further than reality, and that’s what’s so scary about it. Like his work on Succession (2018-2023), Jesse Armstrong paints a portrait of the uber wealthy that’s probably not entirely accurate, but feels all too real nonetheless. The sharp script targets the everyday person’s fears related to the nature of power, as well as the motivations and morals of those who wield it.

Steve Carell is in top form, once again displaying impressive range. As the group’s leader and eldest member, who is also struggling with a serious illness, he’s simultaneously hilarious, horrible, and oddly sympathetic. The character works to support the idea that although these people consistently disregard the well-being of humans they perceive as lesser than (which is the majority), their behavior is rooted in an unequivocally human place. Whether it’s death, legacy, acceptance, or love, their reprehensible behavior is motivated by universal experiences. The script also hints at the idea that perhaps these people weren’t always so bad, but have inevitably been crushed by the weight of their power and success.

Cory Michael Smith all but steals the show as the group’s richest, most eccentric, Elon Musk-type figure. He’s the most over-the-top of the four characters and receives countless opportunities to chew the scenery, which he takes full advantage of. Simultaneously funny and terrifying, he embodies the distinct tone the film aims to convey. 

Schwarzman is perfect as the seemingly moral but easily influenced member of the group. He has a heart, but is willing to set it aside if it means impressing his friends. As the least wealthy of the group, the character highlights how cripplingly insecure these individuals can be, which provides a disturbing possible explanation for why they constantly seem to crave more, no matter how much they already have.

Seemingly meant to represent younger generations, Ramy Youssef’s character plays the morally conscious member of the group. He constantly questions the morals of their actions, which quickly makes him a scapegoat. He’s naturally the least compelling character for a majority of the film, but that all changes in its final moments when the script uses him to highlight the cyclical nature of power. 

The film is, at its core, a display of how people will inevitably find a way to justify doing something (especially if they have the means to do so), even if it can’t truly be justified – it’s just mental gymnastics. There’s a feeling that nothing can be said or done to change these people’s minds. This not only adds to the terror of the situation, but also provides a certain hopelessness. It once again highlights the cyclical nature of wealth and power, as well as how endlessly praising these kinds of people can cause them to develop a sort of God complex.

Some audiences will be disappointed that the film is a contained, almost entirely dialogue-driven experience, similar to a stage play. Those people will find the movie boring and be disappointed that it doesn’t end with a bang. Everyone else, especially those who don’t mind more intellectually driven entertainment, should find a lot to love. The film is both timely and chilling, yet also funny in equal measure, never forgetting that, at its core, it’s about human beings with distinctly human flaws.

Overall, this is not only one of the best satires, but also one of the best dark comedies I’ve seen in years. Its accessibility is a tad limited, but it should work wonders for its target audience. It’s a film carried by its witty script and pitch-perfect performances, which is more than enough. It’s also consistently unpredictable and features an ending that, on its surface, seems anticlimactic, but is actually uncommonly thought-provoking. I’d almost always rather have an ending that improves over time as opposed to one that’s only exciting in the moment. Even if this doesn’t seem like your thing, I’d still recommend it simply due to its real-world relevance. It’s been a while since I’ve been so terrified while simultaneously grinning from ear to ear. A majority of successful showrunners struggle to make the transition from TV to film, but Jesse Armstrong proves to be one of the few exceptions. I look forward to seeing what he does next.  B+