Gibney's four-hour Musk documentary covers well-worn ground

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 20:08 · Archive

Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney's biographical documentary about Elon Musk covers well-known material and presents him as a confidence man rather than visionary inventor.

Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney has released a four-hour biographical documentary simply titled Musk. The film presents Musk not as the visionary tech titan of his public image, but as a 'Gilded Age confidence man' rejiggered for the 21st century—an investor posing as an inventor whose real genius lies in pumping stocks and dazzling investors and the public with visions of a high-tech utopian future.

Gibney, who has made documentaries since the 1980s on subjects ranging from Jimi Hendrix to WikiLeaks to Elizabeth Holmes, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2007 for Taxi to the Dark Side. His approach to controversial figures appears natural for tackling Musk. Both Ars Technica and The Economist noted that the film, despite its length, covers well-trodden territory and offers little new material for those already familiar with its subject.

The film drew attention even before its release. Musk threatened defamation action against Gibney, and there were unconfirmed reports that Universal Pictures considered avoiding theatrical release in international markets, though these remain unfounded.

Gibney's four-hour Musk documentary covers well-worn ground — Image: Ars Technica

Comments (0)

How it is being reported

“Musk” reminds you of how much you already know about ElonIt is hard to make a fresh documentary on a ubiquitous subject, Alex Gibney’s gruelling film showsThe Economist · 12 Oct, 19:31
Review: 4-hour Musk documentary feels like two different filmsAlex Gibney's provocative film is compelling but overlong, and there's not much new here for Ars readers.Ars Technica · 11 Oct, 19:10

In this story: Elon Musk · Alex Gibney · Universal Pictures

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem