James Poniewozik in The New York Times:
Imagine being stuck in a room with Roman Roy — Kieran Culkin’s witty, self-hating “Succession” character — without having gotten any understanding of his psyche to contextualize his machine-gun quips. That’s “Mountainhead,” times four. No one here reveals much of themselves beyond their first, worst impression, with the exception of Youssef’s Jeff, who is — unusually for an Armstrong protagonist — decent but boring.
Still, what “Mountainhead” lacks in depth, it makes up for in satirical daring. Armstrong’s hallmarks are present: a brutal sense of interpersonal power dynamics, a flair for creative profanity, an abiding belief that the worst people will succeed. If “Mountainhead” is one-note, that note is a piercing one: Armstrong takes the tech-lord principle of “accelerationism” — floor the pedal on change and damn the consequences for the little people — to a chilling conclusion. When you’re perched on top of the world, the film argues, acceleration takes you straight downhill.
More here.
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