What is Super Pumped about? Netflix Uber series explained

❘ Published: 2023-10-05T10:24:07

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber

Showtime

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber originally aired on Showtime, but it’s just dropped on Netflix – so, here’s what it’s about, who’s in the cast, and if it’s worth watching.

Uber has only been around since 2010, but in just over a decade, it’s revolutionized our attitudes to transport; in cities all across the world, every single day, people book themselves a driver to take them from A to B.

Black cabs and other private hire services are still available, but “shall we get an Uber?” has become the new shorthand for needing a taxi.

Now, in the year of brand movies such as Air, Blackberry, and Flamin’ Hot, Super Pumped has been licensed to Netflix where it’s set to binged by millions across the world – so, here’s what we know.

What is Super Pumped about?

Super Pumped follows the turbulent origin story of Uber from the perspective of its co-founder Travis Kalanick.

Check out the trailer below:

The full synopsis reads: “Based on the true story behind the meteoric rise and fall of Uber founder, Travis Kalanick, who takes a win-at-all-costs approach to forge a multi-billion-dollar colossus with the help of venture capitalist Bill Gurley and board member Arianna Huffington.”

The series is based on Mike Isaac’s 2019 book of the same name, chronicling the ups and downs of the lexicon-altering company’s birth; more specifically, Kalanick’s tenure until his removal in 2017 amid complaints of a toxic workplace culture, including allegations of ignoring sexual harassment accusations.

Brian Koppelman, who co-created the series with David Levien, told The Wrap: “It was just so obvious that this was an incredible story that said so much about our times, and that seemed important and also incredibly entertaining, and that combination doesn’t show up that often.

“And when I say important, what I mean by that is Uber and companies like Uber are a fact in our lives now. They’re part of the infrastructure. They’re almost like a utility. We never think about how that came to be.

“What was immediately apparent from Mike’s book to us was it was a story about what happens when the revolutionaries unseat the fascists and then become the fascists. And because the taxi and limousine commissions were largely kind of crooked, fascistic-entrenched power, they did need to be removed. But it does seem that at this moment in time when that happens, something even worse shows up and that was fascinating. Especially because of how ubiquitous Uber is.”

Super Pumped cast: Who’s in it?

The cast of Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber on Netflix

The Super Pumped cast includes:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Travis Kalanick
Kyle Chandler as Bill Gurley
Kerry Bishé as Austin Geidt
Babak Tafti as Emil Michael
Jon Bass as Garrett Camp
Elisabeth Shue as Bonnie Kalanick
Bridget Gao Hollitt as Gabi Holzwarth
Uma Thurman as Arianna Huffington

Speaking to Collider, Gordon-Levitt said Kalanick is the sort of role “you hope and wait for… these don’t come around all the time. These don’t just fall in your lap.”

“Within the first few pages of reading this script, I was like, ‘Oh, this is gonna be so fun.’ They took this guy who, on the one hand, is making highly questionable decisions and is guilty of highly questionable ethical behavior, and yet, at the same time, is talking in these rat-a-tat-tat fireworks that are just so much fun to play. It makes for a delicious feast, as an actor, and hopefully, for audiences as well,” he added.

The first season is also narrated by Quentin Tarantino, thanks to him being a fan of Koppelman and Levien’s Billions. “We had found out and then he wrote to us that he’d become a really big Billions watcher and fan,” Koppelman explained.

“He watches very closely and is very engaged with every reference and every character’s journey. So that’s why we thought maybe it was possible that he’d do it because we felt like he liked our work to some extent or was engaging with it. And then when people ask why Quentin Tarantino, I mean, the only answer I can come up with is because he said yes.”

Is Super Pumped worth watching?

While not Certified Fresh, Super Pumped has a 66% score on Rotten Tomatoes – so, it has positive reviews, although the critical reception was mixed.

The Playlist wrote: “Other than a few times when the form of the show itself feels a bit too manic, Super Pumped is just entertaining drama.”

CNN also wrote: “Super Pumped effectively illustrates that while such personalities might not be great to live with (or even share a ride with), as movies or limited series go, they can be pretty fascinating to watch.”

In a negative write-up, The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “Super Pumped has its share of pleasures, from a sprawling cast of familiar faces to a catchy soundtrack… but without anything deep or fresh to say about what we’re seeing, it all amounts to not much more than a shallow portrait of a self-proclaimed asshole.”

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber is on Netflix now. Check out our other upcoming Netflix hubs below: