Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Artificial’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed After Critics Call It the Real Sequel to ‘The Social Network’

Few films arrive with as much baggage as Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Artificial.’ It was developed at Amazon MGM Studios, then dropped in June, days after parent company Amazon signed a $50 billion deal with OpenAI. Neon stepped in to acquire the global rights, and the movie has been one of the most closely watched titles of the fall.

The film is a drama-comedy about OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, played by Andrew Garfield, and it centers on his ouster and return in 2023. Written by Simon Rich, it also features Yura Borisov, Monica Barbaro, Cooper Koch, Cooper Hoffman, Billie Lourd, Zosia Mamet, Mark Rylance and Ike Barinholtz.

Now the first verdict is in. After its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 5, ‘Artificial’ debuted with a 21% score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 12 reviews that range from 4 out of 5 and 5 out of 5 to a B-.

The score is still early, and the audience score has not yet appeared. According to Forbes, Tim Grierson of Screen International is the only critic so far to give the film a rotten rating. Even so, the reception is a welcome change for Guadagnino, whose previous film, ‘After the Hunt,’ sits at 36% with critics.

The film runs about 2 hours and 20 minutes and is rated PG-13. It is scheduled to open in theaters on December 25, ahead of what Neon hopes will be an awards campaign.

The comparison most critics reach for is ‘The Social Network.’ With Aaron Sorkin’s sequel ‘The Social Reckoning’ opening this weekend, the timing practically invited it. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wrote in his review that the real sequel to the 2010 film is ‘Artificial,’ which he called a sprawling, enthralling, brain-spinning drama.

That is high praise, since ‘The Social Network’ grossed $225 million worldwide on a $40 million budget, earned 8 Oscar nominations and 3 wins, and holds a 96% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Several other critics echoed the comparison, with some saying Guadagnino outdid Sorkin’s approach by leaning into satire.

Garfield’s performance is the main talking point. Critics describe a portrayal that balances Altman’s disarming charm against something far colder, with Next Best Picture’s Matt Neglia calling the performance one of his most unsettling and transformative. Eric Kohn said Garfield walks a fine line between movie monster, buffoonish mogul and evil genius.

IndieWire’s full review calls the film a dark and campy tech comedy and describes Garfield as a diabolical villain, a reading that fits Garfield’s own comments about initially being charmed by Altman. Borisov, who plays OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, is singled out as the film’s emotional core, and Barinholtz’s turn as Elon Musk is said to steal scenes. Damon Albarn’s electronic, atmospheric score also earned praise.

Luca Guadagnino’s ARTIFICIAL. It’s coming. Starring Andrew Garfield, Yura Borisov, Monica Barbaro, Ike Barinholtz, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, and Mark Rylance. In select theaters Christmas Day. https://t.co/M12NC7XU1F

— NEON (@neonrated) September 8, 2026

Not every reaction is glowing. IndieWire notes that the third act slows down when it dramatizes the hours of Altman’s ouster, and Awards Radar similarly describes that section as oddly dull and rushed. Variety’s Clayton Davis, by contrast, called it Guadagnino’s best film in a decade.

The real Altman has not weighed in on the reviews. He has said he has not seen the film and that, while it might be a good movie, it will not be an accurate depiction. As early scores go, ‘Artificial’ has already answered the biggest question surrounding it: whether the controversy around its release would overshadow the film itself.

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