This part of the 2026 film calendar is all about Big Tech. With Aaron Sorkin’s pseudo-sequel “The Social Reckoning” coming out this weekend and Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI satire “Artificial” premiering at the New York Film Festival, moviegoers who have a bone to pick with Silicon Valley have plenty to enjoy. 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 play Altman, the OpenAI founder who was forced out of his company in 2023 due to disagreements with a board of directors 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 abandoned the completed film earlier this year, shortly after the company struck a $50 billion deal with OpenAI to provide web services through its AWS division. Neon later acquired the rights to the film and is planning a Christmas release and an Oscar campaign.
The film premiered on Monday, October 5 at the New York Film Festival. Initial reactions from viewers have been positive, with many highlighting the film’s biting, satirical voice. Many critics seem as terrified by the film’s depictions of our AI-dominated future as they are amused by its jokes — but it seems 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.
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