The first trailer has just dropped for Musk, Alex Gibney‘s documentary that gives thorough insights and criticism into the rise of billionaire Elon Musk, including his businesses, power, influence, political involvement and personal relationships.
Musk takes a deep dive into all of the above; so much so that if you want to watch this at the cinema, you’re a) going to need snacks (load up on the popcorn) and b) are probably going to hope they have an interval, or very carefully plan your toilet break, as it’s almost four hours long.
Elon himself hasn’t been involved in the documentary (it’s clear he refused), but it does include interviews with people close to him, including his dad, Errol Musk, Ashley St. Clair, and Elon’s first wife, Justine Musk. Oscar-winning filmmaker Gibney has also spoken with various colleagues/peers of Musk over the years to paint as clear a portrait as possible.
The portrait itself doesn’t sound particularly favourable, and has been described as a “wrecking ball to the public image of Elon Musk” (GeekTyrant).
According to one critic in the trailer below: “We have one person who’s this chaotic and has this much power. It’s completely insane.”
Tesla, and how Musk came to call himself its ‘founder’ is also criticised, highlighting at least one of the deadly crashes its drivers have been involved in over the years, with the quote: “This is a car that lies to you about what it’s doing.”
There’s also the political controversy over Musk’s relationship with Trump and his involvement in the 2024 presidential election. St. Clair recalls conversations where Musk allegedly talked about helping Trump defeat Biden and had also claimed to know the election outcome hours before it was officially announced.
In the trailer, St. Clair says: “He had told me, ‘I can’t be president, but I can help Trump beat Biden.'” She continues with: “They say, ‘I think we’re gonna win!’ He said, ‘I have 10,000 lasers in space. I knew that hours ago.’” Also, there’s the topic of SpaceX and how it’s not doing anything near what Elon is selling it as.
Quelle suprise, Musk has threatened legal action over this film, through his attorney Alex Spiro, especially the insinuations about vote rigging, saying: “You are therefore on notice, before release, that the insinuation is false.”
Musk will hit cinemas on 9th October, and it looks like it’s going to be one hot potato. I’ll be booking in advance.
What do you think of the trailer for Musk? Will you be watching when it hits cinemas next month – or are you worried it won’t get that far? Comment below to have your say.
