Mountainhead review – tech bros face off in Jesse Armstrong’s post-Succession uber-wealth satire

Weapons-grade zingers come thick and fast in this chamber piece about four plutocrats on a weekend in a lodge that goes awry when the planet descends into chaosJesse Armstrong has returned with what feels like a horribly addictive feature-length spin-off episode from the extended Succession Cinematic Universe – though without Succession cast members. It is set in a luxurious Utah megalodge which winds up resembling the Dr Strangelove war room, mixed with the apartment from Hitchcock’s Rope. Mountainhead is a super-satirical chamber piece about the deranged, cynical and facetious mindset of the uber-wealthy, the kind of people who think about ancient Rome every day, though not about Nero and his violin. It may not have the dramatic richness of Armstrong’s TV meisterwerk while the pure testosterone of this all-male main cast (minus any Shiv figure) is oppressive – though that is kind of the point. The pure density of weapons-grade zingers in the script is a marvel.Our heroes are four unspeakable American tech plutocrats, a billionaire boys club with one mere centi-millionaire who isn’t up to “bill” status; this beta-male cuck of their peer group is nicknamed “Soup Kitchen” because of his poverty, and he is their eager host. They are exactly the kind of people with whom legacy media aristocrat Logan Roy (played in Succession by Brian Cox) would once grit his teeth and take meetings, vainly hoping for investment. These masters of the universe are getting together for an alpha bros’ hang-slash-poker-weekend, razzing and bantering with each other with deadly seriousness about their respective wealth levels, at this mega-lodge that is called Mountainhead. As one guest asks: “Is that like The Fountainhead? Your interior designer is Ayn Bland …?” Continue reading...

Comments

Culture

Damien Hirst says he used to buy property ‘a bit like Monopoly’

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Mountainhead is Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s exquisite but merciless modern satire

Culture

Damien Hirst says he used to buy property ‘a bit like Monopoly’

Cannes prepares to award the Palme d'Or, with Neon positioned to add to an unprecedented streak

At 3 a.m. in the Capitol, the Speaker of the House pauses to share his place for prayer

You should wear sunscreen even if you have darker skin. Here's why

Key moments from the second week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial

Bruce Springsteen's lyrical view of America has long included politics -- even more so as he ages

Chris Packham accuses government bill of being a ‘licence to destroy nature’

Sabotage suspected as Cannes Film Festival struck by major power outage

Ed Sheeran plays surprise set at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend

Formula 1: How to watch the Monaco Grand Prix on TV and what to know

Power outage hits Cannes Film Festival and traffic in southeastern France

Sirens creator explains origins of Kiki’s strange catchphrase

20 movie romances that were actually completely toxic

Creators behind new British comedy react to ‘mad’ Richard Curtis praise

Europe at risk of becoming ‘technological supplicant’ to US and China, says McMafia writer Misha Glenny

Final Destination still works — here's why

Lineker set to get ‘farewell montage’ on Match of the Day despite antisemitism row

Doctor Who has fixed a big mistake – but it might be too late

How American Photography Came Into Its Own

Is “Thunderbolts*” Marvel’s Attempt to Salvage the Superhero Genre?

Why Tom Cruise Will Never Die

All the controversies at Cannes Film Festival 2025 – from red carpet rules to slated comebacks

The best Wes Anderson films to watch if The Phoenician Scheme isn’t your vibe

The longest standing ovation at Cannes? A whopping 22 minutes

Avengers ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’ hit with huge delays by Marvel

Kylie Minogue’s Tension Tour proves she’s one of the greatest pop stars of all time

Avengers: Doomsday now set to be released on the same day as Dune: Messiah

‘A massive shame’: The Wheel of Time fans devastated after Prime Video decision

Adulation, flowers and spittle: remembering the Smiths' Eighties gigs in Scotland

BBC rethink on Scottish productions welcomed after The Traitors row

Bruno Tonioli delivers scathing 3-word statement after Britain’s Got Talent Ofcom complaints

TV fans cry ‘it’s not fair’ after beloved Prime Video show cancelled on cliff-hanger

How to watch Clarkson’s Farm for free this soggy bank holiday weekend

‘It’s wild’: Myles Smith on his meteoric year since Big Weekend

15 Unforgettable Looks From Cannes 2025: Rihanna, Dakota Johnson and More

José Eduardo Agualusa Takes Readers to a Literary Festival Where Novelists’ Characters Come to Life

Daniel Sunjata on the Photo With Michael Jordan He Treasures

With ‘Dead Outlaw,’ the ‘Coroner to the Stars’ Is Getting One Last Act

Two Decades After Her Death, Celia Cruz Lives On for Her Fans

Billy Joel cancels all concerts after rare brain condition diagnosis

Barry Keoghan makes honest confession about addiction

Freddie Mercury had secret child, new biography claims

King Creosote has sparked controversy but nothing can overshadow his superb music

One bold but brilliant Doctor Who decision just saved the finale

Ego Nwodim talks Poker Face and how to get an SNL crowd to swear in unison

Harry Potter star rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after experiencing breathing difficulties

Michelle Williams calls living with Ryan Gosling on the set of 2010 film ‘horrible’

One To Watch: Freya Beer, music's new glam-goth poet

Kneecap at Wide Awake review: a fast, ferocious, two-fingered salute to the haters

Original Sin book review: How we were fools to be fooled by Joe Biden’s people

Line-up announced for BBC Black Sabbath special

Robbery gang guilty of Kim Kardashian heist in Paris

Eddie Marsan: ‘You are never gonna satisfy racists – it’s their hobby, they’re addicted to it’

‘Fiddler on the Roof is in my DNA’: how the West End revival dances on the edge of tradition

Wes Anderson ranked, from The Phoenician Scheme to The Grand Budapest Hotel

Who can – or could – ever replace David Attenborough?

The TV channel that saved us, and heralds the change to come

Theatre agent known for Les Mis whose family ran the ‘Harrods of the Highlands’ dies

Texas star Sharleen Spiteri 'still living the dream'

Israel’s Eurovision Campaign Went All the Way to the Top