The first trailer for "Mountainhead" just dropped and this Max original movie might as well have "From the World of 'Succession'" as a subtitle. It looks like "Succession" creator Jesse Armstrong is picking up right where he left off.
This dark comedy movie is Armstrong's first project since the series finale of the iconic HBO show, and it's exclusive to the Max streaming service. "Mountainhead" centers around a group of four obscenely wealthy men at a picturesque mountain lodge for a get-together.
The trailer, which you can watch above or on YouTube, kicks off with Hugo Van Yalk (Jason Schwartzman) and Randall (Steve Carell) already at the chalet, with the third member of their party just arriving and the fourth not far behind.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Hugo, Randall and Venis (Cory Michael Smith) are all ... well, they're all white. Rich white guys who you're ready to hate. Armstrong's specialty
But then Ramy Youssef shows up as Jeff and immediately calls out Venis's social media platofrm as "racist and shitty." Will this bring tension to the group before things even start?
Turns out, no. At least, not yet. Venis and the others laugh at this, and everyone starts playing at roughhousing. Turns out being rich is still what's most important for these four.
However, as the trailer goes on, things take a turn from fun to dark, and it seems that being rich might be a liability after all.
Could this dark comedy be a disaster movie in disguise?
While things initially look like fun and (at worst) veiled resentment for the presidents of "Mount Techmore," they quickly take a turn. As the four start to look at their phones and look at the news, it's clear that the outside world has devolved into chaos.
Or as Jeff puts it to Venis, "Your platform has inflamed a volatile situation, circulating unfalsifiable deep fakes, massive fraud, market instability."
It feels like, watching this trailer, that we still have yet to see the proverbial other shoe drop. Yes, the tension is clearly growing as "Nations are teetering, both politically and economically." But Jason Schwartzman is still asking if the group is down for poker and expensive seafood.
Could this turn into a full-blown disaster movie? Why is the President of the United States calling them? And what role do the other seven actors on the call sheet have to play before this story is over?
It's possible that this is just Armstrong taking another opportunity to skewer the wealthy, using not-so-subtle fictional stand-ins for real-life billionaires. But with the thriller movie score behind this trailer. I think there's still more to come.
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
Here's what he's been watching lately:
- 'The Last of Us' season 2 just had its shocking moment — and it was the best episode of TV this year
- 'Sinners' takes one of my favorite horror movies and turns it into a masterpiece
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