Artificial Review: gripping, darkly funny and thought-provoking exploration of OpenAI’s rise
Artificial is a gripping, darkly funny and thought-provoking exploration of OpenAI’s rise, elevated by outstanding performances from Andrew Garfield and Yuri Borisov. A spiritual successor to The Social Network, it delivers a timely and unsettling warning about the power struggles, moral compromises
Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial is a gripping, darkly funny and deeply unsettling exploration of the rise of OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, played brilliantly by Andrew Garfield. A significant departure from Guadagnino’s previous work, the film feels like a spiritual successor to David Fincher’s The Social Network, capturing the egos, power struggles and moral compromises behind the creation of a technology that could change the world. It’s easily my favourite of Guadagnino’s films so far.
Garfield is phenomenal as Altman, balancing humour and menace to make him both hilarious and genuinely terrifying. However, the film’s heart belongs to Yuri Borisov (Anora) as Ilya Sutskever, who delivers the standout performance, bringing a compelling humanity to the story. Ike Barinholtz’s portrayal of Elon Musk also earns some of the biggest laughs from the audience.
Funny, thought-provoking and frighteningly timely, Artificial is more than a story about the people behind OpenAI; it’s a warning about the future we’re actively building. Much like The Social Network captured the dawn of a new digital era, Guadagnino delivers a snapshot of a technological revolution whose consequences remain frighteningly uncertain. It’s undoubtedly one of my favourite films at this year’s BFI London Film Festival.