Artificial Review: A Transformative Andrew Garfield Anchors Haunting OpenAI Drama

Luca Guadagnino does a tremendous job of pulling back the curtain on the origins of AI and ChatGPT in an emotionally intense biographical drama.

Published Oct 19, 2026, 7:54 AM EDT

Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History.

Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews.

In an era when technology is rapidly advancing beyond most people's understanding or control, Luca Guadagnino's Artificial seeks to shine the spotlight on the men in charge. The film takes a closer look at the birth of artificial intelligence, from the foundational work done by individuals like Geoffrey Hinton to the face of OpenAI, Sam Altman.

Throughout the film, several individuals involved in creating, marketing, and mass-producing access to these highly advanced programs are introduced, alongside a plot that appears to condemn the dangerously careless approach to rushing the tech into the world before effectively ensuring serious incidents do not occur. To whatever degree the film's claims are true, it conveys the seriousness of the situation and the lack of information brilliantly.

Artificial Feels More Pre-Dystopian Than Biographical

Artificial is a movie featuring real people, real events, and real moments from the last decade and a half. However, it's worth pointing out that not every conversation, interaction, or private meeting is so well documented that it could be recreated perfectly in a feature film. Beyond that, to make it a story that pulls the audience along for the ride, there are always going to be creative liberties taken to tell a better story.

Guadagnino does a fantastic job of building a narrative, and cleverly utilizing sound, visuals, and the performances of an incredible group of actors to deliver this narrative. He sets up a hero in the character of Ilya Sutskever (Yura Borisov), while establishing Sam Altman (Andrew Garfield) as the mysterious and unknowable villain. Guadagnino cleverly uses shadows and other means of concealing characters at times, which contributes to the narrative building in subtle ways.

Artificial is uncomfortable, and it's tense, but it's designed to be.

The film also leans into humor, despite the dark message at its core, with its depiction of high net-worth tech bros in Silicon Valley discussing how they can usher in a new era. Artificial is uncomfortable, and it's tense, but it's designed to be; the way that the film triggers these emotions ultimately creates a fascinating sense that, despite this being a biographical story at its core, it could easily be categorized as pre-dystopian.

It's confronting, and the performances of Garfield as Altman, Borisov as Sutskever, and Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati in particular are incredibly well-calibrated. The personalities of these individuals shine through, and they beautifully hold our attention throughout.

Luca Guadagnino Masterfully Wields Emotions Through Artificial

It's been mentioned briefly above, but one of the most exceptional aspects of this film is the fact that it plays on emotions as easily as if Guadagnino was pulling strings on a puppet. The highs of success are intoxicating, and the depths of despair when a problem arises caused my heart to bleed with the characters on screen.

I felt intensely uncomfortable as certain characters began to reveal their true colors, and disgust at the way some decisions deserving of time and consideration were granted neither. Guadagnino absolutely delivers a story that takes the viewer on a journey, and holds onto our attention from start to finish, even during a handful of lengthy shots which build even further on the tension of the story.

Guadagnino's skills are put to extraordinary use, and the film leaves you pondering what's next in a rather existential way.

Andrew Garfield also plays an enormous part in manipulating the emotions of the audience, as his performance as Altman is genuinely transformative. Even as recognizable as he is, he manages to disappear inside this role. His ability to replicate the mannerisms, stride, stance, and expressions of Altman are seriously impressive.

However, the movie is not without its flaws. There are a handful of characters who ultimately felt like an unnecessary distraction from the central story being told. Long, stretched out scenes often landed well, but some interrupted the pacing slightly and failed to further build on the narrative in a meaningful way.

Beyond a handful of oversights, this film delivers a powerful message with an attempt to give the viewer a perspective inside one of the most impactful and consequential moments in modern history. Guadagnino's skills are put to extraordinary use, and the film leaves you pondering what's next in a rather existential way. Fortunately (or perhaps more accurately, unfortunately), the story of Artificial continues to play out around us in the real world.

Artificial releases in US theaters on Friday, December 25.