Hollywood turns critical of tech founders: 2026 films on Zuckerberg, Musk, Holmes and Altman
Several 2026 films portray Silicon Valley leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Elizabeth Holmes and Sam Altman far more critically than before. The Verge's critic sees it as a sign of growing public skepticism toward Big Tech.
Several feature films and documentaries released in 2026 portray US tech company leaders far more critically than earlier productions did. The Verge, a technology and entertainment outlet, argues that this reflects a broader shift in how the public views Silicon Valley.
The films
Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning presents Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg as a man whose drive for growth endangers democracy. It builds on allegations by whistleblower Frances Haugen, including Instagram's effect on teenagers' mental health and the link between Facebook's algorithm and the spread of misinformation. By contrast, David Fincher's 2010 film The Social Network showed Zuckerberg as a complicated, misunderstood savant.
Alex Gibney's documentary Musk examines the life of the xAI and SpaceX head Elon Musk and how he accumulated power. According to the review, Musk reacted sharply: X blocked the film's advertising, and he threatened legal action, calling it a "hit piece". Ads were initially missing from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok as well; Meta's platforms and YouTube later reversed course, while TikTok did not. A consortium of investors that included Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison bought TikTok's US business late last year. His son David Ellison runs Skydance, which owns HBO. Ellison has reportedly promised the film will air on HBO next January.
Luca Guadagnino's dark comedy Artificial portrays OpenAI chief Sam Altman as a manipulative sociopath. Amazon was originally to distribute it but pulled out in June, just months after announcing a $50 billion investment in OpenAI. The film opens widely on December 25.
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary You Can See Everything focuses on Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison. Fielder lived with Holmes and her partner William Evans in the month before her sentence began and pressed her on why she does not believe she defrauded investors.
Wider significance
The author notes that some of the films have flopped at the box office, but says their existence reflects a cultural shift. Audience appetite for such films could grow, he suggests, given Musk's time at DOGE and OpenAI's push to build generative AI into every part of life.
