Documentarian Alex Gibney’s latest film, “Musk,” offers a detailed exploration of Elon Musk’s complex rise to power and the implications of his influence on technology, politics, and society. The nearly four-hour documentary, which opened nationwide on October 15, draws on extensive reporting, interviews with former colleagues, romantic partners, and Musk’s father, as well as Musk’s public statements to trace the trajectory of the tech entrepreneur now considered the wealthiest person in the world.
Gibney, known for his investigative films on powerful figures such as Enron’s leadership and Elizabeth Holmes, began the project with a generally positive impression of Musk. He admired the entrepreneur’s early efforts, including the development of Tesla’s Powerwall and solar panels, seeing Musk’s “fake it until you make it” approach as a means to achieve ambitious goals for global betterment. However, as the documentary unfolds, Gibney depicts how Musk’s character and intentions evolved as his influence grew.
Notably, Musk refused to participate in the film, responding to Gibney’s outreach by calling him a derogatory name on social media. Instead, the documentary employs a computer-generated avatar using Musk’s previous interviews to represent the entrepreneur. Gibney’s investigative work paints a portrait of a man who, over time, became increasingly self-centered and reckless, with decisions often driven by a desire to accumulate power rather than a clear sense of purpose.
The film highlights Musk’s shift in focus from major engineering achievements, such as SpaceX’s milestones, to more self-serving pursuits, including his management of Twitter after acquiring the platform. One prominent scene shows Musk pressing Twitter engineers to modify the algorithm so that his tweets receive the most prominence, an act described by Gibney as “insubstantial” compared to Musk’s earlier endeavors.
Gibney examines Musk’s worldview, connecting it to influences from science fiction and comic books, noting that many of the fictional works Musk admires actually warn against the very futures he appears to pursue. The documentary includes references to classic stories like “The Man Who Could Work Miracles” and “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” drawing parallels between Musk’s ambition and longstanding cautionary tales about unchecked power.
Central to the film is an exploration of “noble-cause corruption,” where the pursuit of a supposedly righteous goal leads to ethical compromises and harmful consequences. Gibney argues that Musk’s self-image as a climate savior conflicts with actions that, in his view, contribute to environmental degradation. The documentary scrutinizes Tesla’s Autopilot system, raising safety concerns linked to fatal accidents, and details the environmental impact of Musk’s data centers.
The narrative also delves into Musk’s political engagements, particularly his association with former President Donald Trump, a figure whose energy policies Rub against Musk’s earlier climate-oriented ambitions. Gibney connects these developments to broader repercussions, such as the dissolution of USAID and the resulting humanitarian consequences worldwide.
In its concluding sections, the documentary addresses Musk’s declared mission to colonize Mars and ensure humanity’s survival beyond Earth. Gibney, however, questions the coherence of this vision in light of Musk’s simultaneous contribution to planetary harm. The film portrays Musk as operating within a self-constructed reality where he is both a savior and a disruptor.
Through “Musk,” Gibney offers a cautionary examination of contemporary power dynamics, illustrating how extraordinary influence can amplify personal flaws and reshape public institutions, often with unintended and far-reaching effects.