The New Elon Musk Documentary ‘Musk’ Drops Trailer Ahead of Festival Premiere

Documentary filmmakers often spend years pursuing subjects that warrant a thorough character study, and few individuals are as prominent in today’s cultural landscape as Elon Musk. With his ventures in rockets, electric vehicles, social media controversies, and a brief yet impactful involvement in Washington politics, Musk’s narrative is practically a goldmine for prestige nonfiction.

This is precisely the terrain that Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney has been exploring for years. Gibney has built a career on dissecting complex and influential figures and institutions, having previously tackled topics like Scientology, Enron, and the Catholic Church. Thus, a figure as divisive as Musk seems like a fitting next chapter in his body of work.

Now, as it gears up for a high-profile festival debut, the first teaser for Gibney’s forthcoming documentary ‘Musk’ has been released, setting the stage for the film’s central conflict. The 48-second clip features a blend of conflicting voices over footage of rocket launches, allowing viewers to hear a range of contrasting opinions about the billionaire.

The teaser begins on an almost reverent note, with voices referring to Musk as “possibly the greatest living inventor,” likening him to “the real-life Iron Man,” and celebrating him as “one of the greatest builders of all time.” However, the tone quickly shifts, as the same commentary soon describes him as “chaotic, random, capricious, manifestly cruel and selfish,” and even goes so far as to declare, “He’s a fascist.”

The trailer concludes with a particularly striking visual, depicting a spacecraft crashing and bursting into flames, accompanied by a voice stating, “Elon is a nuke.” This powerful final image underscores the stark divisions in public opinion surrounding Musk.

Gibney’s film, simply titled ‘Musk’, will have its world premiere out of competition at the Venice International Film Festival before moving on to the Toronto International Film Festival. With a runtime of nearly four hours, the documentary is one of the most ambitious nonfiction projects focused on a living public figure in recent memory.

The film also features an original song by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, titled “Let Me Sell You a Dream,” which adds another layer of cultural significance to a project already generating considerable buzz on the festival circuit. Bleecker Street has also signed on for a theatrical release in the United States.

Musk’s own involvement with the project has not been without controversy. Gibney first announced the documentary’s development back in 2023, and Musk quickly took to social media to predict that it would be nothing more than a “hit piece,” a claim that Gibney publicly refuted at the time.

This tension between the subject and the filmmaker adds another layer of intrigue to a project that appears determined to avoid easy categorization. Rather than presenting itself as a straightforward critique or a celebratory profile, the teaser indicates that Gibney aims to capture the full, messy spectrum of how the world perceives Musk.

Given Musk’s significant influence across technology, business, and politics, this expansive, contradiction-embracing approach may be the most honest way to narrate his story. How audiences interpret the film—whether they see an innovator, a cautionary tale, or something in between—will likely depend on their own perspectives as they enter the theater.

With festival premieres just around the corner, ‘Musk’ is set to become one of the most discussed documentaries of the year, regardless of where viewers ultimately stand on its subject.

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