HBO just released the new streaming movie Mountainhead, and it’s splitting audiences and critics. Tomatometer-wise, Mountainhead is doing well with reviewers, getting a 79% score. ScreenRant‘s Alex Harrison had more of a mixed opinion of the film, giving it 5 out of 10 stars. While Harrison appreciated writer-director Jesse Armstrong’s “approach to dialogue,” he felt that the character relationships were underdeveloped and he “never once bought them as friends.” Audiences have diverged from critics on Mountainhead in a major way, as the film’s Popcornmeter is only at 30%.

While the reactions to Mountainhead may be mixed, one of its strongest qualities is its cast. Boasting stars from various backgrounds, the film’s main quartet is made up of Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef. It is a significant project for all involved; for Carell, for example, Mountainhead marks his continued streaming domination after the Netflix series The Four Seasons. The movie is also significant for another one of its main actors, who is also one of the film’s highlights.

Cory Michael Smith Is The Best Part Of Mountainhead & Saturday Night

He Plays Chevy Chase In Saturday Night

Cory Michael Smith gives a standout performance in Mountainhead. In the movie, Smith plays Venis, one of the four main tech moguls. Not only is he the wealthiest of the movie’s lead characters, but he is also depicted as the richest man in the world. He is the owner of a successful social media app called Traam, and even as its new technology causes global violence, Venis maintains an arrogance and sense of humor about him that really brings out the film’s strong dialogue. Smith handles this part incredibly well, elevating Mountainhead.

For those wanting more of Smith after appreciating his Venis character, a good film to check out is Saturday Night. Unlike Mountainhead, which is a fictional satire, Saturday Night is a based-on-a-true-story film about the launch of the now-celebrated sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. It features an ensemble cast that includes Smith, Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Lamorne Morris, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Emily Fairn, and Matt Wood. Smith is given the challenge of portraying infamous former SNL cast member Chevy Chase.

And as in the case of Mountainhead, Smith absolutely nails it in this role. While multiple notable people are being portrayed in Saturday Night by a talented ensemble cast, Smith’s depiction of Chase is by far the most praiseworthy. Performing this imitation, he really gets into the physicality of Chase and brings a brilliant energy that makes the role especially memorable. His line delivery in both films makes him hilarious, and the best part of each; he carries over his strength as a physical actor to Mountainhead.

After Mountainhead, Cory Michael Smith Is In One Of The Year’s Buzziest Movies

The Movie Could Make A Splash During Awards Season

Smith is not slowing down after Mountainhead. He is also appearing in the Joachim Trier film Sentimental Value, a comedy-drama that focuses on themes of family, memory, and art. The film premiered at 2025’s Cannes Film Festival and was met with a near-record-breaking 19-minute standing ovation. Given this response, Sentimental Value has the potential to perform well during awards season. This will be a positive step forward in Smith’s career inertia, as it could establish him as an awards-movie-type actor.

Smith’s upcoming projects do not stop there. He is also slated to be in the Jody Hill-directed thriller Famous, wherein he reunites with Saturday Night actor Nicholas Braun as well as a talented supporting cast that includes Zac Efron and Ernie Hudson. This movie will broaden Smith’s horizons genre-wise, and help give him further visibility in the industry. With movies like Mountainhead and Sentimental Value, he can carve out his niche as a comedic actor, while still maintaining career flexibility to perform a wide variety of roles.