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Alex Gibney Elon Musk Documentary Unsettles Venice at World Premiere
The Hollywood Reporter • • general
Key Points:
- Alex Gibney's nearly four-hour documentary "Musk" premiered to a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, receiving a very positive but exhausting reception due to its length and intense subject matter.
- The film is an in-depth investigation into Elon Musk's extraordinary influence across Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, X, and his political connections, portraying a troubling concentration of unchecked power.
- Gibney began the project in late 2022 and expanded it as Musk's political involvement grew, resulting in a 225-minute film with a 10-minute intermission, aiming to demystify Musk's public image.
- Elon Musk publicly criticized the documentary as a "hit-piece," exchanging insults with Gibney, who is known for probing powerful figures and institutions in his previous acclaimed documentaries.
- "Musk" will continue its festival run at Toronto before a U.S. theatrical release in October, and it screened out of competition at Venice, making it ineligible for the Golden Lion award.
