Film Review: Mountainhead is smart and funny, but tiresome

Jesse Armstrong has a lot to live up to. As the creator of Succession, one of the most popular, critically acclaimed TV shows of all time, fans have been eagerly awaiting his next project.

He has a keen understanding of the personalities of the ultra-rich and successful, so it makes sense that he is continuing to explore that world with his new film, Mountainhead. But the question is: does it measure up to the greatness of Succession?

Mountainhead takes place over the course of one night, where a group of friends plan to isolate themselves from the world, play poker, and talk about how amazing they are. This is a group so wealthy that they travel by private jet and helicopter and can’t go anywhere without their entourage of minders, doers, and fixers.

This poker night is a tradition, and is the only time the foursome gather without assistants or staff, but they don’t have to worry about anything during their time together. The mansion they are staying in is well-stocked with prepared platters of food and bottles of champagne, all within arm’s reach.

Venis (Cory Michael Smith), hyper and erratic, happens to be the world’s wealthiest man. He has made a fortune in tech and has more than a hint of Elon Musk in his demeanour.

At Mountainhead, he is greeted by Hugo (Jason Schwartzman), whose mountaintop retreat the group is staying in. Hugo’s nickname is Souper, short for Soup Kitchen, as he has only half a billion dollars in the bank, making him the poorest of the group. He has plans for a new meditation app he is convinced will finally help him hit the billion-dollar mark.

Randall (Steve Carell), the oldest member and its founding father, made his fortune in cybersecurity. He is in remission from cancer but has been told it will inevitably lead to his demise. He is working on a way to become the first human whose brain is connected to a computer, allowing his consciousness to live forever.

Finally, Jeff (Ramy Youssef) is the youngest of the group, and inching closer to Randall’s level of wealth.

As the group comes together, the world is in chaos. Venis has launched new AI software ahead of schedule, which is riddled with glitches that allow people to create deepfake videos. Across the globe, cities are burning, and people are being slaughtered in the streets as disinformation spreads. Governments are turning against each other as old arguments are resurfacing.

Venis takes sickening pleasure in watching the carnage, aware he is indirectly responsible for it. The only thing that could stop his AI technology is Jeff’s product, which Venis wants - if he gets his hands on it, his company will be unstoppable. However, Jeff is developing a conscience and starting to think that they should use their technology for some good.

Over the next few hours, this group of megalomanic egotists start coming up with new ideas, each more appalling than the rest. Can they be stopped?

Mountainhead is undoubtedly well-written and features strong performances, but the film is challenging to enjoy. The characters are incredibly insufferable, and while it is intended as satire, it hits too close to home. There is a real possibility that the events depicted in this film could become a reality.

With wealthy tech moguls already meddling in politics -running around in the White House, dancing on stages at rallies with chainsaws, and hitching rides on Air Force One - it’s easy to imagine someone like Venis flipping a switch and unleashing global chaos.

We are justified in being concerned about the unchecked use of AI, and this film does not alleviate those concerns. With so much power contained in a handheld device, the consequences of our hunger for power are unsettling. Despite its satirical elements, at times, it feels like an uncomfortable fly-on-the-wall documentary.

The language used by the characters feels foreign and becomes tiresome to decipher. We have all seen tech bros on social media - they often communicate in confusing jargon -but maintaining this in a film makes it difficult to engage with the story.

Despite some cracking dialogue, and through no fault of the actors, the characters feel somewhat artificial, like the AI version of what they should be, and there is a plot hole in how Venis’s actions cause such instantaneous chaos.

Perhaps Armstrong should have made Mountainhead as a mini-series and given himself time to flesh out the details.

Always smart, sometimes funny, but also tiresome, Mountainhead is a mixed bag.

Mountainhead, now streaming, Sky Atlantic and Now, cert 15.