Elon Musk’s ambitions of conquering not only America but also the world and even Mars are central themes of Alex Gibney’s documentary, “Musk.” This extensive 235-minute exposé on the billionaire entrepreneur had initially appeared to be the standout documentary of the year. However, its release coincided with “You Can See Everything,” another lengthy film that resonated with audiences, offering a captivating blend of schadenfreude, engaging antagonists, and standout performances, particularly from Amanda Seyfried.
Choosing to watch the latter instead of “Musk” is understandable. Spending four hours with a manipulative billionaire who has fathered children that ultimately reject him is a challenging proposition. Gibney, at 73, employs traditional narrative techniques that may seem outdated when compared to the more avant-garde approaches seen in “You Can See Everything.” Nonetheless, Gibney’s documentary is thoroughly researched, providing an in-depth look at the corporate and political machinations of a man who has caused significant damage, far exceeding that of Elizabeth Holmes, and who is currently attempting to influence Texas’ midterm elections. The film left me feeling unsettled, a response that was partly due to low blood sugar from missing dinner, but mainly due to the unsettling power of the content.
The film’s runtime includes a brief 10-minute intermission, which could have benefited from being longer. In fact, the documentary might have fared better as a four-part series, though streaming platforms like Netflix might hesitate to provoke Musk and his loyal followers. Gibney is known for employing postmodern storytelling techniques, incorporating video game graphics to convey Musk’s obsession with gaming and audio clips generated by an AI version of Musk himself. While these elements are fitting, they can become tiresome over the course of four hours, particularly when compared to the works of other documentarians who manage to maintain audience engagement over similar durations. Gibney demonstrates skill, but this particular endeavor stretches the limits of his capabilities.
Gibney uncovers a wealth of intriguing anecdotes, such as the outrage Musk displayed during Super Bowl LVII. Following the game, he was incensed that his tweet in support of the Philadelphia Eagles garnered significantly fewer interactions than then-President Joe Biden’s similar message. In response, Musk flew directly to X headquarters to demand his engineers work overnight to manipulate the algorithm and increase the visibility of his posts. One can’t help but wonder whether X would still be relevant had the Eagles emerged victorious.
The documentary also delves into Tesla’s failed attempts at developing self-driving technology, which inadvertently paved the way for competitors like Waymo, and examines Musk’s transphobia, which seems to stem from his relationship with his transgender daughter. It even touches on the severe repercussions of his budget cuts, which contributed to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have taken a toll on Musk’s mental state; for someone who envisions himself as humanity’s leader, having factories shut down by a minuscule virus must have been unbearable. His response was to keep operations running, resulting in illness among employees or their termination for refusing to work.
While the documentary features a range of critics discussing Musk, perhaps the most insightful voice comes from Ashley St. Clair, a former conservative influencer. Having dated Musk and given birth to one of his children, she offers a unique perspective, revealing that he entrusted her with significant aspects of his political strategy, particularly his support for Donald Trump in the upcoming 2024 election. St. Clair cautions that both political sides are misguided in their perceptions of Musk, emphasizing that his access to government databases provides him with private information on every American citizen, which he could use to suppress dissent. She also presents compelling arguments regarding his failures as a father, supported by her own experiences and observations of how he interacts with his ex-partners and children.
The documentary ultimately portrays Musk’s vision for the future: a world devoid of space for individuality, creativity, or beauty. The only semblance of joy lies in engineers laboring diligently at their desks, enthusiastically affirming, “Yes, Elon!” Meanwhile, the suffering of countless individuals, such as those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is brushed aside as an unfortunate consequence. I have never joined Twitter, nor have I purchased a Tesla, and after watching this film, I feel validated in those choices.
Musk
Starring: Elon Musk. Directed by: Alex Gibney. Written by: Alex Gibney and Michael J. Palmer. Rated R.
