Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber
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Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber

"Every surge has a price."

7.0
Yr 2022
Status Ended
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Based on the shocking true story, strap in for the meteoric rise and fall of Uber founder, Travis Kalanick. With a lift from venture capitalist Bill Gurley and board member Arianna Huffington, Kalanick takes a win-at-all-costs approach to forge the fledgling start-up into a multi-billion-dollar tech titan. But every surge comes at a price – and as his visionary drive spirals out of control, it threatens to be the downfall of it all.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 62 /100

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber is generally regarded as an energetic, albeit slightly derivative, corporate drama. Critics note that the series leans heavily into a manic visual style, utilizing elaborate graphics and a bold, aggressive tone to mirror the hubris of its protagonist, Travis Kalanick. While many reviewers appreciated the high-stakes narrative focused on tech-industry greed and "frat-boy" culture, others felt it struggled to distinguish itself from similar projects like The Social Network or The Big Short.

Reviews are mixed regarding the show's overall execution. Supporters praise the series for its "righteous anger" and compelling look at the hypocrisy of Silicon Valley, while detractors feel it occasionally ventures into campiness or suffers from a redundant, "mediocre" approach to a fascinating true story. Ultimately, the show is seen as a fast-paced but familiar examination of a morally unmoored business world.

“The anthology series’s Uber-focused first season mirrors the overconfident posture of its tech-iconoclast protagonist, for better and worse.”

“A fun, fact-based tale of greed, high-stakes corporate chess and frat-boy excess.”

“Visually 'Super Pump' is somewhat manic, with on-screen animations and Quentin Tarantino dropping in occasionally as a narrator.”

“While Super Pumped aims to be a cross between Adam McKay’s The Big Short and David Fincher’s The Social Network, it ends up being a mediocre chronicle.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Why fans love it

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber examines the mechanics of unchecked ambition within the tech industry. It trades the typical polished success story for a frantic, win-at-all-costs philosophy. Based on a book, the narrative anchors itself in the high-stakes friction between founders, venture capitalists, and the boardrooms that ultimately determine a company’s survival.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt portrays the volatile momentum behind the rise of a Silicon Valley giant. The show leans into the personal erosion that accompanies rapid scaling, showing how a drive for industry dominance often accelerates a founder’s undoing. It is a portrait of how modern corporate culture prioritizes aggressive growth over stability, leaving the architect of the system to manage its sudden, turbulent collapse.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 23
Longest run 7 eps
Show 67 more
Emma Pasarow as Penny 3 episodes Kyle Louis as Pete 1 episode Ricardo Cisneros as Ricky The Driver 1 episode Ping Wu as Mayor Ed Lee 1 episode Kate Amundsen as Kelsey 3 episodes Michael Andrew Baker as Transit Cop 1 episode Andrew Hwang as Lobbyist 1 1 episode Kim D'Armond as Lobbyist 2 1 episode Richard Schiff as Randall Pearson 2 episodes Mark Gessner as Gil 3 episodes Ben Feldman as Larry Page 2 episodes Annie Chang as Angie You 5 episodes Quentin Tarantino as Tarantino's Voice (voice) 7 episodes Uma Thurman as Arianna Huffington 4 episodes Mark Cuban as Self 1 episode Shannon Woodward as Kate 1 episode John Magaro as John Zimmer 1 episode Damon Gupton as David Drummond 4 episodes Joel Kelley Dauten as Ryan Graves 6 episodes Elisabeth Shue as Bonnie Kalanick 4 episodes Rob Morrow as Eddy Cue 2 episodes Mousa Kraish as Fawzi Kamel 6 episodes David Krumholtz as Sergey Brin 2 episodes Noah Weisberg as Quentin 6 episodes Darren Pettie as Hendricks 6 episodes Sonny Valicenti as Matt Cohler 7 episodes Jessica Hecht as Amy Gurley 3 episodes Fred Armisen as Erich England 1 episode Chelcie Ross as David Bonderman 4 episodes Virginia Kull as Jill Hazelbaker 4 episodes Amanda Brooks as Rachel Whetstone 4 episodes Eva Victor as Susan Fowler 3 episodes Hank Azaria as Tim Cook 1 episode Alex Hurt as Ben Smith 1 episode Hill Harper as Eric H. Holder, Jr. 1 episode Nick Fondulis as Dan O'Sullivan 1 episode Brian Howe as Donald Kalanick 3 episodes Jeremy Howard as Anthony Levandowski 3 episodes Ian Alda as Peter Fenton 6 episodes Mishka Thébaud as Cory Kalanick 3 episodes Erinn Ruth as Olivia Lungociu 4 episodes Debbie Fan as Rose 1 episode Mike Capozzi as NYC Taxi Driver 1 episode George Caleodis as New York Uber Driver #1 1 episode Jeff Lewis as Chester the Driver 1 episode Destiny Ekwueme as Passenger 1 episode Jared Wernick as Tre 2 episodes Rama Vallury as Tahir Khan 5 episodes Amel Khalil as Zahra Kamel 3 episodes Emil Beheshti as Lead VC 1 episode Asad Durrani as VC 1 episode Mike Isaac as Mike Isaac 1 episode Aaron Coleman as Lyft Driver #2 1 episode Jim Nieb as Crying Man 1 episode Mary Kate Wiles as Fighting Couple 1 episode Sean Persaud as Fighting Couple 1 episode Tyler Mauro as Jeff 1 episode Adam Daveline as Craig 2 episodes Lily Rains as Anne-Marie 2 episodes Brian Sacca as Chris Sacca 1 episode Joy Corrigan as Woman 1 2 episodes Anna Mhairi as Woman 2 2 episodes Kevin Markovic as Kev 1 episode Marc Jablon as Event Facilitator 1 episode Ray Huizar as Brazilian Uber Driver 1 episode Gabriel Sousa as Brazilian Teenage Boy 1 episode Jack Mikesell as Kevin 1 episode
Production Board

Crew

Director of Photography
Transportation Coordinator
Key Grip
First Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director
Technical Advisor
Colorist
Digital Imaging Technician
Script Supervisor
Construction Coordinator
Production Design
"A" Camera Operator
Production Controller
Post Production Supervisor
Costume Design
Digital Intermediate Producer
Script Coordinator
Leadman
Creator
Color Assistant
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

based on novel or book based on true story
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
February 27, 2022
Status
Ended
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
93