“Megalomaniac With A God Complex”: Brutal Musk Doc Reviews

The four-hour documentary from Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, screened at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, paints Elon Musk as a “power hungry megalomaniac” and “con man with a god complex,” according to a Washington Post review that calls the film “engrossing and terrifying.” The documentary, which features an intermission and may eventually be broken into episodes for HBO, was made in real time as events unfolded, expanded from six hours down to four. Musk, who refused to participate, appears in AI-generated form — a fitting choice given his frequent claims that we are likely living in a simulation.

The Scariest Revelation

The most alarming claim in the documentary comes from Ashley Sinclair, the mother of one of Musk’s children, who alleges that Musk may have used his Starlink satellite network to rig the 2024 US presidential election. The Washington Post review notes that the implication, if true, positions Musk as “a real life Lex Luthor with the resources to remake the world in his mad image.” Musk’s high-profile lawyer is threatening to sue over this allegation. The film’s director, Alex Gibney, appears to believe Musk is dangerous for democracy, though he does not end the documentary with a conclusion, instead allowing audiences to decide for themselves.