David Bianculli

But as Mountainhead, the new HBO movie written and directed by Jesse Armstrong, begins, all we know is that Hugo, or Super, is ridiculously rich, with a net worth estimated above $500 million. Yet at this particular poker table, and this gathering of titans from the tech industry, Super is the low man on this financial totem pole.

Steve Carell plays Randall, an old-school software and hardware tycoon in the Bill Gates mold. Rami Youssef plays Jeff, who made his fortune designing sophisticated AI programs. They're both worth more than $50 billion each. And Corey Michael Smith plays Venice, a sort of loose-canon Elon Musk type who's the richest man in the world.

Steve Carell plays Randall, an old-school software and hardware tycoon in the Bill Gates mold. Rami Youssef plays Jeff, who made his fortune designing sophisticated AI programs. They're both worth more than $50 billion each. And Corey Michael Smith plays Venice, a sort of loose-canon Elon Musk type who's the richest man in the world.

Steve Carell plays Randall, an old-school software and hardware tycoon in the Bill Gates mold. Rami Youssef plays Jeff, who made his fortune designing sophisticated AI programs. They're both worth more than $50 billion each. And Corey Michael Smith plays Venice, a sort of loose-canon Elon Musk type who's the richest man in the world.

His company, Tram, has just unleashed upon the world a program guaranteed, even designed, to wreak havoc. At the very start of Mountainhead, a news report lays out the basics.

His company, Tram, has just unleashed upon the world a program guaranteed, even designed, to wreak havoc. At the very start of Mountainhead, a news report lays out the basics.

His company, Tram, has just unleashed upon the world a program guaranteed, even designed, to wreak havoc. At the very start of Mountainhead, a news report lays out the basics.

As the others arrive for the weekend, Super welcomes them to his brand new home and instantly is ridiculed by the much wealthier and more sarcastic Jeff.

As the others arrive for the weekend, Super welcomes them to his brand new home and instantly is ridiculed by the much wealthier and more sarcastic Jeff.

As the others arrive for the weekend, Super welcomes them to his brand new home and instantly is ridiculed by the much wealthier and more sarcastic Jeff.

Here we go indeed. As the tech titans keep checking their phones, news keeps arriving about chaos generated globally by the program Venice has unleashed, which allows users to create deep fake images, even news reports, that most viewers perceive as real. Instead of feeling alarmed or guilty about what he's done, Venice is proud and defiant.

Here we go indeed. As the tech titans keep checking their phones, news keeps arriving about chaos generated globally by the program Venice has unleashed, which allows users to create deep fake images, even news reports, that most viewers perceive as real. Instead of feeling alarmed or guilty about what he's done, Venice is proud and defiant.

Here we go indeed. As the tech titans keep checking their phones, news keeps arriving about chaos generated globally by the program Venice has unleashed, which allows users to create deep fake images, even news reports, that most viewers perceive as real. Instead of feeling alarmed or guilty about what he's done, Venice is proud and defiant.

The movie seems to be heading towards a Black Mirror type of futuristic parable. But then Armstrong, whose gift for twists and turns and shifting alliances was so key to the success of Succession, takes a sharp left turn into Dr. Strangelove territory.

The movie seems to be heading towards a Black Mirror type of futuristic parable. But then Armstrong, whose gift for twists and turns and shifting alliances was so key to the success of Succession, takes a sharp left turn into Dr. Strangelove territory.

The movie seems to be heading towards a Black Mirror type of futuristic parable. But then Armstrong, whose gift for twists and turns and shifting alliances was so key to the success of Succession, takes a sharp left turn into Dr. Strangelove territory.

The four technical wizards look at the global unrest and start musing about how, if they pooled their technical and financial resources, this might be a great time for them to make a power move and overthrow the United States. Jeff doesn't like the idea, but Venice is all for it, and even Randall warms to the possibilities.

The four technical wizards look at the global unrest and start musing about how, if they pooled their technical and financial resources, this might be a great time for them to make a power move and overthrow the United States. Jeff doesn't like the idea, but Venice is all for it, and even Randall warms to the possibilities.

The four technical wizards look at the global unrest and start musing about how, if they pooled their technical and financial resources, this might be a great time for them to make a power move and overthrow the United States. Jeff doesn't like the idea, but Venice is all for it, and even Randall warms to the possibilities.

With that, Mountainhead becomes a completely different type of movie. And in Armstrong's hands, it's not through yet. The surprises that follow are too good and too unexpected to reveal. But you'll want to see them for yourself. Mountainhead, like its quartet of central characters, is extremely unpredictable and very, very rich.