An Elon Musk documentary has gotten increased press in recent months on the film festival circuit. While the billionaire would prefer people don’t watch the movie, leading U.S. movie theater companies are ready to premiere it.
‘Musk’ Film to Hit AMC
Musk labeled the documentary a "hit piece" because it features interviews with people who hold a grudge against him.
Still, critics praised the nearly four-hour-long movie from award-winning director Alex Gibney at festivals. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has a 100% rating from 21 reviews. On IMDb, the first 212 reviews give the film an average of 7.1 — a rating likely skewed by some people who have never seen the film giving it a 1 rating. Of the film’s 213 votes, 106 are 10s and 63 are 1s.
The world’s largest movie theater company, AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE:AMC), will show the film in theaters next month. AMC has around 600 theaters in the U.S.
"The myth versus the man. MUSK opens in select AMC Theatres 10/9 and nationwide 10/16," AMC tweeted on X, while sharing a new trailer for the film.
Cinemark (NYSE:CNK) did not share the trailer on social media, but its website shows the film coming to theaters. The company has around 300 U.S. theaters.
Before the film’s theatrical run, "Musk" screened at the Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s (NASDAQ:WBD) HBO platform has the TV and streaming rights to the film. The media company is being acquired by Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY), a company with close ties to Musk’s friend Larry Ellison.
Musk, reportedly as a potential investor in the merger, could look to block HBO from showing the film next year.
What the Film Covers
Labeled as “the definitive story of the world’s richest man,” the film tries to cover as much of Musk as it can, including SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX).
According to Deadline, the film also scrutinizes Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) and its years of safety claims for self-driving and battery range. The film’s release comes as Tesla has Cybercab robotaxis on the road, and the company or its investors may not like seeing past claims of accidents caused by self-driving brought back into the spotlight.
“Musk” also covers romantic relationships Musk has had over the years, including an interview with Ashley St. Clair, who had a child with Musk in 2024. St. Clair turned down a financial settlement that would’ve required an NDA and speaks freely in the film. Among her commentary is that Musk seemed confident President Donald Trump would win the 2024 election.
The film also covers Trump’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency, criticizing his cuts at USAID. The film claims that Musk’s real goal of getting a White House-level position was to access data on Americans to help further his AI goals and ambitions.
Image via Shutterstock
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