Despite the massive popularity and cultural impact of HBO’s Succession, the show’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, seemingly couldn’t replicate the show’s success with his latest project, the similarly satirical film Mountainhead. Conceived, pitched, and produced in the span of a few months, Mountainhead debuted on HBO on May 30 to mostly positive reviews, but a rancid audience response. Despite the divisive reception, the movie topped the viewership charts on HBO, displacing holdover hit Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson.

According to FlixPatrol, Mountainhead was the most-watched movie on Max, which will soon revert to the name HBO Max, on June 1. It scored 433 points in total, while Mickey 17 earned 405 points in second place. Mountainhead stars Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef as men of extreme wealth, who get together for a weekend getaway while the world crumbles around them. The four men engage in petty arguments and display abhorrent behavior over the weekend, trying their best to avoid accountability for the mess one of them has created, and the others have enabled.

Mountainhead currently holds a 79% Rotten Tomatoes score, which is rather encouraging, but only until you glance to the right and look at the audience score, which is currently sitting at a terrible 26%. In her review, Collider’s Shaina Weatherhead compared the movie unfavorably to Succession, and wrote that while “Armstrong’s critique of the elite falls flat, Mountainhead‘s comedy only gets better as the movie goes on.” She added that the film’s skewering of the ultrarich lacks originality, but praised some of the comedic scenes and the cast’s interplay.

‘Mountainhead’ Features an Exciting Cast

Before hitting big with Succession, Armstrong was one of the most admired satirists on British television. He worked on projects such as The Thick of It and Four Lions before delivering Succession. Carell most recently starred in Netflix’s popular The Four Seasons, while Schwartzman delivered memorable supporting performances last year in the movies Queer and Megalopolis. Smith has also delivered scene-stealing turns recently, in the movies May December and Saturday Night. Youssef, on the other hand, headlines his own show on Hulu. You can watch Mountainhead on Max, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Mountainhead

Release Date

May 31, 2025

Director

Jesse Armstrong

Writers

Jesse Armstrong