The New York Film Festival audience was among the first to experience "Artificial," a timely and intense exploration of power, ambition, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding the artificial intelligence boom. Director Luca Guadagnino, known for his distinctive style, seems to have struck a chord, with critics praising the film for its compelling narrative and powerful performances.

Matt Neglia, editor-in-chief of Next Best Picture, called "Artificial" "as entertaining as it is terrifying," and an "urgently relevant film of our time." Eric Kohn similarly lauded the film as a "pitch-perfect dark comedy," noting its ability to embody the paradox at its core. Variety's Clayton Davis went further, declaring it Guadagnino's "best film in a decade."

The film delves into the tumultuous period of 2023 when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, portrayed by Andrew Garfield, was dramatically fired and subsequently rehired by the tech giant. Garfield's portrayal of Altman is receiving significant acclaim, with Neglia calling it "one of his most unsettling and transformative performances." Yura Borisov also stands out as former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, delivering a performance described as "magnificent" and full of intelligence and empathy as he grapples with the moral implications of his creation. The ensemble cast also features Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk, Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati, and Mark Rylance as Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, with a script penned by "SNL" alum Simon Rich. Damon Albarn's electronic score is noted for perfectly setting the film's tech-driven mood.

"Artificial" faced its own real-world corporate drama during production. Amazon MGM Studios initially dropped the $40 million project after forming a major partnership with OpenAI, including a substantial investment. Neon later stepped in, securing a deal to complete and distribute the film. Despite the hot-button nature of the subject and its real-life figures, Luca Guadagnino himself expressed a lack of fear regarding potential reactions. He told Vulture, believing "people that have a lot of power should be very much aware that you must be responsible for the community."

Adding a curious real-life footnote, Sam Altman recounted to Vanity Fair an encounter with the film's production, where he saw Andrew Garfield filming near his house, dressed identically to him. Altman remarked that the actor "did walk like me," creating a "very strange" moment that felt like a "weird glitch of the simulation."

With such strong early buzz, distributor Neon is already gearing up for an awards campaign. Variety exclusively reported that Garfield and Rylance will be campaigned in the supporting actor categories, while Borisov will contend for lead actor, and Barbaro for supporting actress. "Artificial" is scheduled to open in theaters on Christmas Day.