'Musk' Documentary Scores a Perfect 100% With Critics Despite Elon Musk’s Backlash

Published 09/22/2026, 5:10 PM EDT

(FILE) Elon Musk s Tesla Pay Package Valued at $158 Billion for 2025 (FILE) Elon Musk s Tesla Pay Package Valued at $158 Billion for 2025. BEVERLY HILLS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA - FEBRUARY 26: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and product architect of Tesla, Inc., Founder, CEO and chief engineer of SpaceX, Owner, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and executive chairman of X Corp. (formerly Twitter) Elon Reeve Musk arrives at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 26, 2017 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Xavier Collin Image Press Agency)

Elon Musk's documentary, Musk, has scored a 100% rating from critics. Earlier this month, Musk had its world premiere at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, and the reaction has been highly polarized. Elon Musk, for his part, took to social media to vehemently criticize the documentary.

But judging by its reception, his objections may have done little to sway audiences. Critics are already giving the documentary a big thumbs-up, even though its subject is not exactly thrilled about it.

Musk managed to win over critics

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Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the documentary Musk has a 100% score on the Tomatometer, reviewed by 19 critics. While Andrew Webster shared how Musk tells the tech tycoon's story "compellingly and convincingly," Lou Thomas called the documentary "a fascinating, occasionally despairing watch".

Bilder des Jahres 2023, News 02 Februar News Themen der Woche KW08 News Bilder des Tages February 21, 2023: En esta foto de archivo tomada el 10 de febrero de 2022, Elon Musk gesticula mientras habla durante una conferencia de prensa en las instalaciones de Starbase de SpaceX cerca de Boca Chica Village en el sur de Texas. - ZUMAla2_ 20230221_zaa_la2_008 Copyright: xJimxWatsonx

Directed by Oscar-winning Alex Gibney, the documentary follows Elon Musk's early days as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, his involvement with Tesla and SpaceX, and his takeover of Twitter, now X. It also explores his influence in contemporary right-wing politics and personal relationships. However, the real Musk believes Gibney relied on testimonies from people who barely even know the entrepreneur.

Elon Musk Takes a Hilarious Jab at ‘The Odyssey’, Shares Bloopers Made by Grok Imagine on X

Musk also got his lawyers involved, alleging that the documentary was working backward from a negative conclusion.

Elon Musk pushing back against his documentary

Elon Musk has taken aim at director Alex Gibney and his upcoming film through a barrage of aggressive tweets, replies, and even memes. He also went after Gibney personally, branding him a “horrible human” and a “bitter old man."

via Imago

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When news broke at the Venice Film Festival that his former partner, Ashley St. Clair, claimed Musk had offered her a $40 million NDA, Musk was quick to hit back on X, insisting she was never offered such a deal. But he did not stop there.

Musk also brought in his high-profile attorney, Alex Spiro, who sent formal legal letters to Jigsaw Productions warning of potential defamation action. Now, with the documentary headed for a nationwide theatrical release across the US on October 16, all eyes are on how fans will respond.

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What do you think about Elon Musk's documentary, Musk? Let us know in the comments!

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Hriddhi Maitra

2327 articles

Hriddhi Maitra is an Entertainment Journalist and Primary Editor at Netflix Junkie. With over 2,000 articles under her belt, she blends her English Literature background with a flair for turning streaming trends into engaging, reference-rich stories. Hriddhi's sharp editorial instincts and versatility across genres make her a go-to voice for everything from on-screen drama to deep-dive cultural commentary.

Edited By: Adiba Nizami

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