Musk Documentary Divided: a 4-Hour Journey Through Contrasts

WHO:

ABC News - Elon Musk has called filmmaker Alex Gibney an “idiot,” a “horrible human,” a “shill for the far left,” and a “tinfoil hat crackpot” with “zero credibility.”

ABC News - Musk's first wife and another mother of one of his children are featured in the documentary.

Reddit Movies - The documentary features interviews with Elon Musk's father.

Ars Technica - The documentary is directed by Alex Gibney.

WHAT:

ABC News - The documentary is facing challenges with paid advertisements on major social media platforms, including YouTube, Meta, TikTok, and X, which initially refused to run ads.

ABC News - Gibney's team created a computer-generated Musk that speaks directly to the camera, using artificial intelligence to sync Musk's own words from past recordings.

Ars Technica - The documentary "MUSK" is described as revealing that Elon Musk is "little more than the 21st-century reincarnation of a confidence man."

Ars Technica - The film claims that Musk's media image conceals a darkness fueled by "misogyny, drugs, and a relentless drive to accrue power."

Reddit Movies - The documentary is described as a four-hour film that presents a complex view of Musk's character.

Ars Technica - The film is characterized as provocative and compelling but is noted to be overlong.

WHERE:

Reddit Movies - The documentary discusses aspects of Musk's career and public life.

WHEN:

Ars Technica - "MUSK" is set to be released in theaters nationwide on October 16.

Reddit Movies - The documentary is set to be released in 2026.

WHY:

ABC News - Gibney stated that the film is “about a ‘free-speech absolutist’ who has threatened a lawsuit to try to stop the film from being seen.”

Reddit Movies - The film aims to provide a comprehensive view of Musk, suggesting that he is "very warped, depraved and very, very dangerous."

HOW:

ABC News - Gibney spent nearly four years making the film, which includes a sweeping portrait of Musk's rise from his early days in Silicon Valley through SpaceX, Tesla, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Reddit Movies - The documentary is framed by an AI rendering of Musk spouting his own prior quotes, underscoring themes of fake image-making and simulations.

Reddit Movies - The documentary is framed by an AI rendering of Musk quoting himself, highlighting themes of fake image-making and simulations.

(UPDATED October 12, 2026 17:02 UTC)

Elon Musk has launched a scathing attack on filmmaker Alex Gibney, labeling him an “idiot” and a “horrible human,” while also criticizing the documentary that features Musk's first wife and another mother of one of his children. The film, which took Gibney nearly four years to complete, faces hurdles with paid advertisements on major social media platforms, as they initially refused to run ads, and includes a computer-generated version of Musk that uses AI to sync his past words. Gibney describes the documentary as focusing on a “free-speech absolutist” who has threatened legal action to prevent its release.

--

(UPDATED October 12, 2026 14:13 UTC)

The upcoming documentary "MUSK" portrays Elon Musk as a modern-day confidence man, revealing a darker side fueled by misogyny, drugs, and an insatiable quest for power. Set to hit theaters nationwide on October 16, the film uses an AI rendering of Musk reciting his own quotes to highlight themes of fake image-making and simulations. This unique framing aims to challenge the public's perception of one of the most influential figures of our time.

--

(UPDATED October 12, 2026 04:12 UTC)

A new documentary directed by Alex Gibney features interviews with Elon Musk's father and aims to provide a complex view of Musk's character, suggesting he is "very warped, depraved and very, very dangerous." This four-hour film, which discusses various aspects of Musk's career and public life, is described as provocative and compelling, though some critics note it may be overlong. Set to be released in 2026, the documentary is framed by an AI rendering of Musk quoting himself, emphasizing themes of fake image-making and simulations.