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Early critic reactions to Guadagnino's OpenAI film 'Artificial' are strongly positive

Luca Guadagnino's 'Artificial', starring Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman, premiered at the New York Film Festival on 5 October to largely glowing first reactions. Neon rescued the film after Amazon MGM dropped it, and will release it on 25 December.

5 outlets · 3L · 2C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: Screen Rant
Image: Variety
Image: The Hollywood Reporter

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The story, neutrally told

Left · 2Luca Guadagnino's 'Artificial' premiered at the New York Film Festival on Monday 5 October, and early reactions from critics and film press have been largely positive. Mixed · 2Andrew Garfield plays OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during his firing and rehiring in 2023, in a script by Simon Rich. Mixed · 2Critics quoted by Variety called it 'provocative', a 'visceral corporate drama' and a 'pitch-perfect dark comedy'. Variety's Clayton Davis called it Guadagnino's 'best film in a decade', a line Screen Rant also quotes.

Mixed · 2Joshua Rothkopf called it the 'spiritual sequel' to 'The Social Network', and Matt Neglia called it 'as entertaining as it is terrifying'. Left · 1IndieWire says many critics were as terrified by the film's picture of an AI-dominated future as they were entertained by its jokes. Left · 2Amazon MGM Studios, which backed Guadagnino's earlier films 'Challenges' and 'After the Hunt', dropped the film shortly after striking a $50 billion deal with OpenAI.

Left · 2Variety says Neon closed a deal in June to complete the $40 million film. Neon plans a Christmas Day release and an awards campaign. Left · 1Variety reports the campaign will put Garfield and Mark Rylance in the supporting actor category, Yura Borisov in lead actor and Monica Barbaro in supporting actress. Centre · 1Screen Rant notes the film's PG-13 rating is a first for a Guadagnino film, which until now has been rated R or unrated.

Left · 1Guadagnino told Vulture he was not 'afraid' of how Altman or anyone depicted might respond. Altman told Vanity Fair that Garfield 'did walk like me' when he saw filming near his home, though the two never met.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left3 outlets

Framing
Variety and IndieWire run first-reaction roundups that lead with critical praise and the film's satire of Big Tech and OpenAI.
Emphasis
Critics' quotes on the satire and on how frightening the film is, the Amazon-to-Neon rescue, awards positioning, and the Big Tech film season.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither mentions the PG-13 rating.
Charged language
“downright horrifying”“Biting OpenAI Satire”“savage”“terrifying”
For example
“‘Artificial’ First Reactions: Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI Drama is ‘Provocative,’ ‘Downright Horrifying’ and His ‘Best Film in a Decade’” — Variety
“cinephiles who have a bone to pick with Silicon Valley have plenty of material to feast on” — IndieWire

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Screen Rant gives a short roundup that leads with the film's 'record-breaking' status and its path from Amazon to Neon, then quotes two critics.
Emphasis
The PG-13 rating as a Guadagnino first, and the comparison to 'The Social Network'.
Leaves out or plays down
Leaves out the budget, release date, awards plans and the wider range of critical views.
Charged language
“Record-Breaking”
For example
“After breaking a record, being dropped by Amazon, and acquired by Neon” — Screen Rant

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.