‘Mountainhead’ Review – A Hilariously Timely Satirical Comedy

HBO’s ‘Succession’ is recognized as one of modern television’s most decorated spectacles, possessing a coveted award cabinet of nineteen Primetime Emmy Awards, eight Critics Choice Awards and nine Golden Globe Awards. Creator Jesse Armstrong has received unanimous praise for his satirical black-comedy, with audiences yearning for more since the series ended in 2023. Patient fans are finally set to be rewarded as Armstong provides straight-to-streaming film ‘Mountainhead’ in collaboration with newly re-branded HBO Max, a film of the same satirical edge as ‘Succession’ but with an entirely new star-studded cast. 

‘Mountainhead’ (2025) pivots upon four financially obsessed billionaires overcome with a combination of greed and self-righteousness. Steve Carell (Randall), Ramy Youssef (Jeff), Jason Schwartzman (Souper) and Cory Michael Smith (Venis) make up this band of narcissistic friends who appoint themselves as the potential saviours of humanity. Meanwhile, the world suffers from an international crisis of misinformation following Venis’ company  releasing an experimental generative AI… sound familiar? What begins as a reuniting friend group exploring snowy mountains, playing poker and indulging in a glorious spread of food quickly descends into coup planning madness assisted by magnificently dry wit. 

Friendship may be strong term when referring to the presence of these gluttonous billionaires. A toxic culmination of false respect, people-pleasing and jealously stings the air when they combine, leading to an uncomfortable realism that promises an unpredictable humour akin to ‘Succession’. This of course can be attributed to the diligently timely screenwriting of Armstong, who crafts an air-tight script where every joke lands with a perfectionist delivery. Steve Carell features as ‘Mountainhead’s most esteemed actor, playing ageing tech bro Randall who is recognised as the ‘Papa Bear’ of the otherwise young group. Carell’s experience within the comedic field is untouchable, possessing beloved history as ‘The Office’s Michael Scott, a character whose mannerisms and subtleties can briefly be spotted throughout ‘Mountainhead’. Jason Schwartzman (‘Across the Spiderverse’) also perfects his eager-to-please punching bag character Souper, who acts as the backbone, or perhaps butt, of many unforgiving jokes. 

The on-screen billionaires bounce off each other with a delightfully magnetic chemistry, riffing, ribbing and impersonating one another whenever the moment calls for such. HBO Max’s latest release features a premise that on paper may appear stale, featuring political and economic turmoil suffering from the lack of mercy from the elite, but the effortlessly hilarious one-liners delivered from script to screen create a relentlessly electric momentum guaranteed to make viewers laugh. Cinematography is unsurprisingly similar to ‘Succession’, but thankfully in all the best ways. Audiences will linger in awkward moments as if in the corner of the room waiting for the moment to pass, and each cast member brilliantly understands their comedic role in such scenes aiding the joke. 

The inclusion of Ramy Youssef’s (‘Poor Things’) Jeff, who appears the most affable of the group, is a generous portion of ‘Mountainhead’s success. A key ingredient to helping audiences relate to the character is his consistent acknowledging of their affluent circumstances, as well as the nefarious ‘deepfaked’ crimes that feature in news reports throughout and how Venis (Cory Michael Smith) plays a significant role in such atrocities, much to his denial. Without his presence, viewers may struggle to see themselves within the film, as each other character possesses a mask of friendliness that becomes removed later. These dual personalities exist to only one-up each other, generating a fascinating conflict of interest and fuelling a dangerous fire. 

With one primary location, albeit that being an enormous mountainside home with an endless variety of rooms, ‘Mountainhead’ creates an enticingly compact environment in which audiences can lose themselves in enchanting back-and-forth dialogue. Magnificent set-pieces aid the overly indulgent environment that homes billionaire plotting and supposedly friendly banter, which at times takes sinister turns highlighting the underlying envy they have for each other. Cory Michael Smith (‘Gotham’) excels in such scenes, delivering a self-centred tech mogul only concerned with profiting from a terrifying threat to world peace that he himself caused. His distain for Jeff elevates ‘Mountainhead’ from an entertaining black-comedy to one with truly unexpected stakes guaranteed to leave viewers guessing. Such moments appear in rapid succession in the latter half, ensuring that viewers find themselves glued to the screen, afraid to even lose a millisecond of drama. 

As entertaining as ‘Mountainhead’ (2025) is, it perhaps lacks the required individual character development to pit this amongst the best films of 2025. Each character largely remains the same person by the end of the film, albeit with minor differences. Jeff is one example of such, as he appears well meaning throughout, but takes little action to support his perspective. In fairness, this isn’t a necessary requirement for success, especially given the premise, arguably on brand with the satirical genre and unfortunately realistic. Pacing can also somewhat stagnate around the halfway mark, before an enthralling third act rescues audience attention and breathes new life into a refreshing addition to cinema. 

Overall, ‘Mountainhead’ is a timely must-watch for lovers of ‘Succession’ and the dark-comedy genre. Jesse Armstrong bares a unique talent in delivering bold, argumentative dialogue with questionable characters, but still somehow making audiences enjoy every second of their presence. Each cast member brings their A-game, together creating a hysterical viewing experience that would miss any of them greatly. Occasionally it’s accurate timeliness hurts, but this only speaks to the levels of Armstrong’s self-awareness and knack for delivering high quality cinema. 

‘Mountainhead’ is Available Now on HBO Max