Super Pumped – The Battle For Uber [2022]

Super Pumped doesn’t rise to the occasion of getting us pumped to watch the battle between a founder and his investor over Uber.

To be honest, Super-Pumped is both too-much and not-enough of anything. Joseph Gordon Levitt has terrific fun reveling in Uber CEO Travis Kalanicks bad behavior. And in some instances, he managed to scare me and hate Kalanicks at the same time. Which is a good sign for an actor. Sadly, there’s just nothing beyond the surface.

Effectively showcases the often wide divide between Kalanick’s version of events and the truth, and the danger of believing too deeply in your own myths, the show is a fast-moving drama that focuses on the wrong elements of a cautionary tale that benefits from great actors giving good performances in an okay series with bad consistency.

In summary, the series vividly depicts an ego-fueled mania with a bunch of side characters that didn’t get to shine. Yes, Kyle Chandler had his moments as Bill Gurley. However, you don’t get Uma Thurman to play a pivotal character like Arianna Huffington without giving her the light she deserves. It’s Uma-freaking-Thurman. I expected more from here. A better presence and a more developed character.

It’s like the writers decided to take the “Super Pumped” approach and fill the script with incoherent mess to reflect the mind of Kalanick. Sadly, it failed to connect with the viewer, me.

Should you watch it?

Super Pumped is most compelling as a study of how one individual at the top can create a noxious office culture. One so rancid it eventually looks like corporate suicide.

Where can I watch it?

You can stream Super Pumped – The Battle For Uber on Showtime in USA and Crave in Canada.