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This stretch of the 2026 film calendar is all about Big Tech. With Aaron Sorkin’s pseudo-sequel “The Social Reckoning” opening this weekend and Luca Guadagnino‘s OpenAI satire “Artificial” premiering at the New York Film Festival, cinephiles who have a bone to pick with Silicon Valley have plenty of material to feast on. And if early reactions to “Artificial” are any indicator, Guadagnino’s film about Sam Altman promises to be both darkly hilarious and sincerely terrifying.
“Artificial” sees Andrew Garfield playing Altman, the OpenAI founder who was famously forced out of his company in 2023 over disagreements with a board that included Elon Musk before regaining control five days later. The film was written by Simon Rich, with David Heyman, Jeffrey Clifford, and Jennifer Fox serving as producers alongside Rich and Guadagnino.
“Artificial” was originally greenlit by Amazon MGM, which previously financed Guadagnino’s “Challenges” and “After the Hunt.” But Amazon dropped the completed film earlier this year, shortly after the company struck a $50 billion deal with OpenAI to provide web services via its AWS division. Neon subsequently acquired the rights to the film and is planning a Christmas release and Oscar campaign.
The film premiered on Monday, October 5 at the New York Film Festival. Initial reactions from those in attendance have been positive, with many singling out the film’s biting satirical voice. Many critics appear to be as terrified by the film’s depictions of our AI-dominated future as they were entertained by its jokes — but it appears certain that “Artificial” will be one of the most talked-about films of the fall season.
Neon will release “Artificial” in theaters on Friday, December 25. Keep reading for a roundup of early social media reactions to the film.
Luca Guadagnino just ate Sorkin’s lunch. In every way, ARTIFICIAL is the spiritual sequel to THE SOCIAL NETWORK, threading together betrayal, broken ethics and humor — and arriving at a vision as scary as COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT. Damon Albarn’s Bowie-esque score ftw. #NYFF
— Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf) October 5, 2026ARTIFICIAL is a pitch-perfect dark comedy about the absence of responsibility in the face of apocalyptic certainty. Andrew Garfield walks a fine line between movie monster, buffoonish mogul, and evil genius. A fun/scary ride that embodies the paradox at its center. #NYFF
— erickohn (@erickohn) October 6, 2026Artificial runs out of steam before the end, but for much of its running time, it’s a pitch black and often savage comedy about the irresponsibility in regards to AI that might be our doom. Andrew Garfield skewers Sam Altman, while Ike Barinholtz steals his scenes as Elon Musk. pic.twitter.com/ewhwxYAhO0
— Joey Magidson (@JoeyMagidson) October 6, 2026ARTIFICIAL is Luca Guadagnino’s telling of the origins of the AI boom and where it may one day lead us. As entertaining as it is terrifying, it’s a brilliantly written human story about power, control, ambition, and greed that might be the most urgently relevant film of our time.… pic.twitter.com/ImHKX94vSq
— Matt Neglia @NYFF (@NextBestPicture) October 6, 2026Sixteen years ago, Andrew Garfield played the Facebook co-founder who was pushed out of the company he helped create in “The Social Network” and came up short in the supporting actor race. Now, he’s playing the CEO pushed out of OpenAI — and who talked his way back in five days…
— Clayton Davis (@ByClaytonDavis) October 6, 2026
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