From The Verge · Andrew Webster · · 2m
Alex Gibney's Musk doc runs four hours
A thorough, well-argued takedown of Elon Musk that may never reach the people it was built for.
In brief
A thorough, well-argued takedown of Elon Musk that may never reach the people it was built for. A four-hour documentary about Musk is the clearest single account of his rise, but its length likely filters out the audience that still needs convincing. Originally reported by The Verge.
Four hours on Elon
Alex Gibney, who made films on Theranos and Steve Jobs, traces Musk from dot-com millionaire to gutting US government departments. Runtime is just under four hours.
“taking a wood chipper”
The myth gets dismantled
The first stretch shows how the Tony Stark image was built, then chips at it: ousted as PayPal CEO, and selling the world on founding Tesla, a company that predates him.
Claims against footage
Bombastic autonomy promises are cut against a deadly crash involving a Tesla on autopilot. Ashley St Clair, a former MAGA influencer and mother to one of his children, sounds scared.
“Elon is a nuke.”
Two questions, one answer
Gibney asks how Musk got so powerful and why nobody stopped it. Tesla, X, SpaceX and Starlink bought him access to governments, and that access then protected his interests.
A deepfake stands in
Musk refused to take part and sent a legal threat instead. Gibney built a digital double that lip-syncs real Musk audio, uncanny and heavy-breathing, which suits a man who believes in simulation theory.
Video game absurdity
The film leans on sim and game imagery, including a fake first-person shooter where Musk tears through Twitter and the federal government with a laser chainsaw.
Nothing new for the informed
For anyone who has followed the story, the film is a clean summary rather than a revelation. The reviewer came away without new insight into the man.
It may miss its target
The people who most need it are fans who tune out the bad parts, one of whom the film interviews. Asking them for four theater hours, intermission included, is a tall order.
“It could miss the people who need to see it the most.”
Here's the gist
A four-hour documentary about Musk is the clearest single account of his rise, but its length likely filters out the audience that still needs convincing.
