Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Artificial’ Lands a 91% Rotten Tomatoes Score After Its NYFF Debut

Few films arrived at this year’s New York Film Festival with as much intrigue as ‘Artificial’. Luca Guadagnino’s drama about OpenAI and the 2023 boardroom crisis that briefly ousted Sam Altman has been one of the season’s most talked-about projects.

The film’s journey to audiences has been anything but smooth. ‘Artificial’ was originally set for release through Amazon MGM Studios, which dropped it several months after Amazon closed a $50 billion investment in OpenAI, before Neon stepped in to release it in theaters on December 25.

Now the first critical verdict is in, and it’s a strong one. Following its world premiere on October 5, ‘Artificial’ has debuted with a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, though that figure is based on just 12 reviews so far.

Andrew Garfield leads the cast as Altman, with Yura Borisov playing OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever. The ensemble also includes Monica Barbaro, Cooper Koch, Cooper Hoffman, Billie Lourd, Zosia Mamet, Mark Rylance, and Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk.

Written by Simon Rich, the film runs 2 hours and 20 minutes and is categorized as a comedy on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics have described it as a pitch-black satire that is as frightening as it is funny.

Early reactions have singled out the performances. Variety’s Clayton Davis called it Guadagnino’s best film in a decade, praising both Garfield and Borisov, while IndieWire’s Eric Kohn described it as a pitch-perfect dark comedy.

Luca Guadagnino’s ARTIFICIAL. It’s coming. Starring Andrew Garfield, Yura Borisov, Monica Barbaro, Ike Barinholtz, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, and Mark Rylance. In select theaters Christmas Day. https://t.co/M12NC7XU1F

— NEON (@neonrated) September 8, 2026

Others zeroed in on Garfield’s take on Altman. Critics have called his performance terrifying and precise, with several noting it plays like a counterpoint to his role as Eduardo Saverin in ‘The Social Network’.

That comparison came up again and again. Many reviewers described ‘Artificial’ as a spiritual sequel to David Fincher’s film, while critics also praised Damon Albarn’s score and Barinholtz’s scene-stealing turn as Musk.

The reception hasn’t been unanimous. Awards Radar praised the film but felt it runs out of steam around 90 minutes in, concluding that it is “somewhat preaching to the choir, but the sermon is still well worth listening to,” according to Awards Radar’s review.

First poster for Luca Guadagnino’s ‘ARTIFICIAL’, starring Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman. The film follows the story of when OpenAI fired and rehired their CEO Sam Altman within 1 week. https://t.co/ZmFcjxJZCZ

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 5, 2026

According to World of Reel, reviews so far include positive takes from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, a B- from IndieWire and a negative review from Screen. The outlet also noted that some early audience reactions were more mixed, suggesting the film may prove divisive.

Part of the reason for the slow trickle of reviews is that there was no press screening at NYFF. Critics had to write their reviews immediately after the premiere, so the score could shift as more come in.

Garfield’s portrayal appears to be a key talking point. World of Reel described his performance as purposely over-the-top, noting that people seem split on it. Still, the overall buzz is impressive for such a provocative project.

With its strong start and awards-season release date, ‘Artificial’ is poised to remain one of the fall’s most debated films. Audiences won’t have long to wait to judge for themselves. Neon will release ‘Artificial’ in theaters on Christmas Day.

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