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Artificial Intelligence is here, and, whether we like it or not, it isn’t going away. The latest endeavour from acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino (Queer), Artificial (2026) tackles the subject with an unapologetic satirical campiness. All whilst simultaneously approaching the very real, and very unrestricted, danger thrust upon the general public by self-indulgent tech bros who have more money than sense. Like a disease, AI has spread to all corners of our modern society. And as we hurtle towards uncharted territory, the repercussions of its existence within our economy, military and beyond, are still yet to be felt. Guadagnino, alongside a star-studded cast, aim to question whether the journey towards this destination is to be feared or admired.
Dropped by Prime due to concerns of damaging brand reputation, and then purchased by NEON for distribution, Artificial emerges as a biographical drama unafraid to criticise the select elite positioned to mould our world into their own singular view. Hailed as the next generation’s The Social Network (2010), Artificial is poised for success within political commentary, but does it succeed?
Sam Altman is the face of OpenAI’s controversial achievement within ChatGPT, and portrayed by Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man) here with theatrical flamboyance. And yet, Artificial details the journey of the company’s former co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, played by Yuri Borisnov (Anora), the true pioneer of AGI: artificial general intelligence. Audiences are first introduced to 17 year old Ilya’s genius seeking mentorship from ‘the godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton (Mark Rylance). His youthful aspirations and sharp intelligence reveal a magnificence to Noble Prize winner Hinton, and the pair collaborate on a captivating mission to further the capabilities of machine learning. Clever chapter titles intriguingly break up Illya’s journey, with wit, dry humour and 2001: A Space Odyssey references easing technical theoretics that could overwhelm earlier minutes.
As their journey evolves, including working with Google and then Ilya’s later partnership with Sam Altman, Artificial’s delightfully genius blend of satire and horror becomes apparent. Where Ilya is likeable and headstrong in his goal to better the world through AI, Garfield’s Altman, and Ike Barinholtz’s (The Studio) depiction of Elon Musk, who originally helped fund OpenAI, deliver an on-the-nose ridiculousness both immense and guaranteed to be divisive. Knowledge of their real-life counterparts is crucial to embrace the eccentric silliness of such performances. Infusing a deliberately cringe-inducing whiplash that keeps Artificial hilarious, but our reality terrifying. The techbro’s Silicon Valley culture is continuously poked fun at, although audiences ‘not in the know’ here may struggle to appreciate Guadagnino’s parodical reflection.
Is it overtly weird? Yes – but that’s what makes Artificial tick. The whole premise of AI overtaking our world, a power created by a handful of socially-awkward geniuses is weird. So Guadagnino’s vision, fuelled by a magnetic self-awareness in Simon Rich’s (An American Pickle) script, must, and does, match this through equal self-indulgence. Yet this screenplay never loses sight of AI’s threat, nor overplays frivolity, able to still convey the seriousness of our current circumstances. Assessment of artificial intelligence’s capabilities, and strain on society, is constantly questioned by Ilya’s growing self-conflict, but responsibility of this is dismissed by ChatGPT’s co-creators seeking control.
Garfield’s depiction of Sam Altman as a cult-like leader, obsessively worshipped by his followers (aka employees), magnifies a manipulation only truly interested in achieving fame and fortune – despite OpenAI’s supposed non-profit stance. He relishes in this absurdity and makes the role his own in an ‘all or nothing’ approach that won’t be for everyone. Quirky mannerisms and unusual dialogue allow him to excel against the dedicated innocence of Borisnov’s Ilya, who keeps Artificial grounded and focused on the story being told. Their riff-raffing chemistry takes the best elements of The Social Network and reshapes them to form something unapologetically critical through their tangible friendship.
Accompanying this a fantastic 90s video game-esque score from the fingertips of Damon Albarn (Gorillaz) who further realises Guadagnino’s unique vision. As retro-inspired electronic beats separate this biographical drama from the pack and, at times, steals the limelight. Encouraging any claustrophobic tension to become amplified by his purposefully loud composition in the midst of arguments and conflict. When paired with Cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed’s (After the Hunt) dramatic close-ups and enthralling dutch angles, Artificial’s uncomfortable thriller-horror framings are simply excellent.
There is a plethora of ground to cover in the backstory of OpenAI and ChatGPT – too much for a run time of 2 hours 20 minutes. Still, Artificial imbeds nuance by acknowledging more deep-rooted societal issues and how AI threatens to worsen these. Data centres, usage of clean water, exploitation of mental health, the ability to create any image, sexual or political, for personal use and spread false propaganda – all things that have actually happened when AI ‘hallucinates’. Such moments of AI glitching and gaining near-sentience strike Ilya, who begins to realise the monster he has created. An unrestricted tool, accessible to anyone, anywhere, for the use of anything – when has such limitless power ever been used for good?
His growing resistance to Altman’s plans unravel a tantalizing conflict that navigates the ethics of their ever-changing mission, battling with his own morals and honesty in the process. Here, Yuri Borisov demonstrates his Academy Award nomination for Anora (2024) wasn’t a fluke, but the beginning of an extraordinary career. He is scintillating in Artificial as Ilya Stutskever, elevating the Guadagnino helmed outing to absolute exceptionalism. Strained relationships with Monica Barbaro’s (Top Gun: Maverick) former Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, played by Cooper Hoffman (The Long Walk), exhilaratingly test Ilya further, slowly isolating him from his own creation. Each cast member imbues gravitas and an old-school Hollywood charm – even newcomers such as TikTok star Will Angus (Not Suitable for Work).
The real-life story of AI is far from finished, and Artificial risks being a mere chapter in this incomplete tale. But Luca Guadagnino’s unrestrained vision, a masterclass script and outstanding performances that grapple with questions of morality and ethics leave Artificial a riveting must-watch. Framed almost like a horror story, Artificial milks the terror of the unknown and the evil yet to come, delivering a spellbinding visualisation of our worst nightmares. Heavily leaning into peculiar performances might put some general audiences off, but those able to embrace such characteristics will be horrified as to what our future holds. As the Los Angeles skyline blesses the final credits, the message is clear: active participance in the use of AI is active participance in humanity’s downfall.
