The new trailer for Alex Gibney’s Musk documentary is getting praise online, but its 225-minute length has some viewers hesitating. In Reddit discussions about the trailer and poster, people said they liked the preview, wanted to support the film, or could not imagine sitting through nearly four hours in a theater. These are reactions to the promotion and announced runtime, not reviews of the finished movie.
Some viewers liked the trailer
The official trailer mixes interviews, footage of Musk and scenes from his companies and public appearances. It gives viewers more to react to than the earlier teaser. In a Reddit discussion under the video, one commenter praised the edit in simple terms:
“This trailer was pure genius.” — a Reddit commenter
Another said they were excited to watch the documentary at home because they liked Gibney’s previous films. That is a viewing preference, not an announced home-release date. For now, distributor Bleecker Street is advertising a theatrical opening. The trailer is playable on this page so you can see the footage those comments are about.
The runtime is the biggest complaint
The Venice Film Festival lists the documentary at 225 minutes, or 3 hours and 45 minutes, plus a 10-minute intermission for its festival screening. A theater showing elsewhere may handle breaks differently, so check the listing before buying a ticket. The film is long enough that several commenters focused on its length rather than its subject.
“Either edit it down or release it as a mini series.” — a Reddit commenter
Others were interested in the film but said they did not have the time or energy to watch it soon. One response to the poster was simply “Four hours. Jfc.” Another commenter said a limited series would be easier to take in. No miniseries version has been announced; these are suggestions from viewers, not a change to Gibney’s film.
Where and when it opens
Bleecker Street currently lists October 9 for select theaters in Los Angeles and New York, then October 16 nationwide in the United States. The company has ticket and Q&A information on its official film page. There is no confirmed date there for watching at home, so a viewer’s plan to wait for streaming is still just a plan.
The film brings together people from Musk’s personal and professional life, along with reporters who have covered him. The Venice listing names Justine Musk, Ashley St. Clair, Kara Swisher, Martin Eberhard, Zoë Schiffer and Geoffrey Hinton among its participants. The trailer cannot show how much time each person gets in the finished film.
For viewers, the choice is straightforward: watch a long documentary in a theater, or wait for an announced home release. The online response shows why both options appeal to different people. Some want to see Gibney’s full film as soon as possible; others like the trailer but would rather watch it in shorter stretches later.
