Gibney's 'Musk' Documentary Debuts: A Four-Hour Critique of Power and Myth
Alex Gibney’s nearly four-hour documentary 'Musk' premiered in US theaters on October 9, 2026, offering a critical examination of the tech billionaire’s rise to power. The film, which excludes direct interviews with Musk, utilizes a computer-generated avatar and interviews with former partners to trace his trajectory from early startups to his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It highlights his status as the world’s first trillionaire following SpaceX’s IPO and questions the concentration of his influence.
Key points
- The documentary, directed by Alex Gibney, runs nearly four hours and includes a 10-minute intermission.
- Musk did not participate in the film; Gibney used an AI-generated avatar based on Musk’s public statements.
- The film covers Musk’s early ventures, including Zip2, X.com, and Tesla, as well as his personal life and political radicalization.
- It features interviews with ex-wife Justine Musk and former partner Ashley St. Clair, detailing control dynamics in their relationships.
- The film was released by Bleecker Street and was originally made for HBO, facing ad bans on major social media platforms.
Background
Prior coverage noted that major social media platforms, including X, YouTube, TikTok, and Meta, refused to run paid advertisements for the documentary, citing political content policies. This sparked a free speech debate, with distributor Bleecker Street appealing the decisions. Earlier reports also highlighted legal threats from Musk’s team regarding claims in the film, particularly concerning the 2024 election.
How outlets are covering it
The New York Times emphasizes the film’s scope, tracing Musk’s life from South Africa to his trillionaire status, and notes his pre-emptive criticism of the project as a 'hit piece.' The New Yorker focuses on the film’s dismantling of Musk’s self-mythology, highlighting his early business failures and the control he exerted over partners, while noting the chilling lack of a clear path to curbing his power. MS NOW frames the documentary as a 'horror movie' within a broader genre of anti-oligarch cinema, noting the difficulty of capturing Musk’s disparate holdings and the industry’s reluctance to support such critical works due to billionaire influence.
Why it matters
The documentary provides a comprehensive, critical analysis of how a single individual accumulated unprecedented economic and political power, raising concerns about the concentration of influence in technology and government. It also highlights the challenges faced by media and artists in critiquing powerful figures, as evidenced by the ad bans and legal threats.
What to watch
The film is expected to compete for awards in the prestige film season, though its distribution window may be limited due to billionaire influence on media. Gibney hopes the film will inform voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
- What to Know About the New Elon Musk Documentary The New York Times
- In “Musk,” Alex Gibney Punctures Elon’s Self-Mythology The New Yorker
- ‘Musk’ is more than a documentary. It’s a horror movie. MS NOW
- ‘Musk’ Review: Alex Gibney’s Portrait of a Tech Titan WSJ
- Elon Musk's romantic partners speak out in damning new 4-hour doc SFGATE
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