Musk documentary from Alex Gibney (2026)

Alex Gibney’s 235-minute documentary examines Elon Musk’s rise from celebrated technology entrepreneur to influential figure in right-wing politics, presenting itself as an unsparing portrait of his power and its consequences. Its interviewees include Musk’s ex-wife Justine Musk, Ashley St. Clair, journalists Kara Swisher and Zoë Schiffer, and engineers Martin Eberhard and Geoffrey Hinton. The film’s central concern is how Musk advances personal interests while framing them as serving the public good. David Byrne’s accompanying song, co-written with composer Daniel Pemberton, uses Musk’s own recorded words without added commentary.

Gibney began production in 2023; the film premiered at the 2026 Venice Film Festival and opened in U.S. theaters that October, with HBO holding North American streaming and television rights. Critics generally praised it: Rotten Tomatoes recorded 96% positive reviews, and Metacritic gave it 77 out of 100. Supporters called it incisive and important, while a negative review argued that its cynical style and nearly four-hour length become exhausting. Commercially, it drew little audience, earning roughly half a million dollars after opening on more than 500 screens. Musk dismissed it as a hit piece and a “psy op”; NPR reported that his lawyer threatened a defamation suit over a claim concerning lasers. TikTok also suspended the film’s account for several days, citing political-content policy without specifying the violation.