'Musk' documentary premieres at Venice to strong reviews for Alex Gibney’s 4-hour film

The film, which examines Elon Musk’s career and influence, was met with an enthusiastic response

Alex Gibney’s four-hour documentary Musk premiered at the Venice Film Festival, receiving a four-minute standing ovation and strong early reviews from critics.

The film, which examines Elon Musk’s business career, personal life and political influence, was described by Musk as a “hit piece” before he had seen it.

The documentary was met with an enthusiastic response at the Palazzo del Cinema.

Gibney began work on the project in 2023. At the Venice press conference, he explained that the film expanded after “Musk became wrapped in the career of Donald Trump and the United States”.

In his director’s statement, Gibney describes the documentary as reframing “the story of the tech titan as the 21st century reincarnation of the confidence man.”

Reviews have largely praised the film’s scope. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman called it “a lacerating and important watch”, while The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin described it as “a four-hour attack”.

Deadline’s Matthew Carey characterised its portrait of Musk as “petty, narcissistic, megalomaniacal, cruel, detached from humans at a personal level… while purporting to want to save humanity by colonizing Mars”.

The documentary features interviews with figures including Justine Musk, Errol Musk, Geoffrey Hinton, Martin Eberhard and Reid Hoffman. Musk declined to participate, but appears through an AI-generated avatar.

The film explores Tesla, autonomous driving claims, Mars ambitions, Musk’s family relationships and his political activities.

Musk is scheduled to arrive in US cinemas on October 16 through Bleecker Street, followed by a streaming release on HBO Max.