REVIEW: ‘Mountainhead’ Is A Sharp, Stark, And Strangely Timely Satire
- Kevin Verma
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
This review may contain minor spoilers.
Jesse Armstrong, the mastermind who gave us the Roy Family, is back with his follow-up to Succession with Mountainhead, which also marks his directorial debut. Made at breakneck speed — reportedly pitched in January, shot in five days in March, and is coming out on HBO this May — the satirical drama is an impressive debut that wields limited resources with piercing intent. His latest is as sharp, uncomfortable, and morally murky as you'd expect from a mind like his.
It follows "a group of billionaire friends get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis." Armstrong also got some great performers on board, including Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef. Set entirely in a single mountain cabin, what begins as a weekend meet-up slowly devolves into psychological warfare, while the friends plot to "save" the world.
If you've seen Succession, you'll notice a lot of similarities between the two projects, as they have a very similar style and feel to them, both visually and narrative-wise. Armstrong’s writing is predictably acerbic and insightful, filled with biting one-liners, layered conversations, and undercurrents of betrayal. While Mountainhead may not reach the dramatic highs of Succession, its themes echo similar ideas: wealth’s corrosive effect on morality, the fragility of loyalty, and how even the most intimate bonds can fray under pressure.
Armstrong offers timely commentary on our increasingly complex relationship with power, wealth, and technology, particularly AI, which looms large in the characters' financial scheming and existential fears. He also uses close-quarter edits that feel right at home with his dialogue-heavy approach. It's not a particularly cinematic film in the traditional sense, but it makes up for that with tension and character work. At the center of it all is Carell’s Randall, who is a terminally ill billionaire willing to go to great lengths to find a cure or an "alternate solution". He delivers what might be his darkest performance in years.
Stripped of his usual warmth, Randall is manipulative, desperate, and fascinating to watch—a man unraveling with terrifying calm. Carell leans into the rot beneath Randall’s surface that gradually comes to the surface as the stakes gett higher, offering a chilling reminder that power and sickness can be equally corrupting. The rest of the cast is equally strong. Schwartzman brings his trademark blend of neurotic wit and quiet nuance. Youssef tries to do much at times, but he brings innocence to the group, and Cory Michael Smith continues to impress and is a talent to watch out for. All 4 leads do really well handling the complexity of their respective characters.
Still, Mountainhead isn't flawless. The second act drags, while the third becomes murky and will likely divide audience opinion. Whether you can get on board with what the movie becomes in the third act will ultimately decide if you like it or not. It also has some pacing issues and a lot of financial jargon that may lose some viewers. It’s not as commercially appealing or as funny as one might expect.  The score, however, is a quiet triumph — moody and atmospheric, subtly raising the emotional stakes without ever overpowering the scenes.
Mountainhead is a confident, thought-provoking debut from Jesse Armstrong, one that proves that he has more to say and more ways to say it. It acts as a cautionary reminder of what we’re willing to sacrifice for survival, success, and control. Despite all its flaws, there’s something undeniably compelling about the story's slow transformation from reunion to reckoning, and as the dust settles in the melancholic final moments, Armstrong leaves us with a lot to think about.
Rating: ★★★½
About Mountainhead
Premiere Date:Â May 31, 2025
Writer: Jesse Armstrong
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Production:Â HBO Films, Hot Seat Productions
Distribution:Â HBO
Cast:Â Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef.
Synopsis: Mountainhead follows A group of billionaire friends who get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.