Andrew Garfield Just Played Sam Altman, And The First Reactions Are "Downright Horrifying" (Also: The Real Altman Has Thoughts)

Stop scrolling, because the internet's most-anticipated and most-controversial movie just premiered — and early critics are calling it "the real sequel to The Social Network."

Luca Guadagnino's OpenAI drama Artificial had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on Monday night, with Andrew Garfield playing Sam Altman. Yes, really. And the reactions are WILD.

The Tea ☕

Artificial premiered at NYFF, and first reactions call it "provocative," "downright horrifying" and Guadagnino's "best film in a decade," per Variety.
Garfield says he thought Altman seemed great before he dug in, then "you learn more about a person."
The film was dropped by Amazon MGM before Neon rescued it. It hits theaters Christmas Day.

Garfield's Altman Journey

Garfield told the Alice Tully Hall crowd he spent months "listening and watching footage" of Altman to prepare, according to Deadline. Deadline says the version he landed on is not flattering: calculating, manipulative and nihilistic.

But the best bit is his origin story. Garfield recalled watching Altman testify to Congress and thinking the guy seemed "great," honest and transparent, talking about regulation. "And then you learn more about a person," he said, per Variety.

Not shady at all. We're simply reporting what the man said.

Altman Has Seen Zero Of It

The real Altman hasn't watched the film. Speaking to Vanity Fair (as relayed by Variety), he said the filmmakers are "trying to make a good movie, and maybe it will be good," but "it will not be good as an accurate depiction."

He also described a very strange morning: walking to get coffee near his house and spotting a production crew and a guy dressed exactly like him, same backpack included. He said he felt like he was in "some weird glitch of the simulation."

We cannot make this stuff up, and we didn't.

The Cast Is Doing A LOT

Per the sources, the ensemble includes:

Yura Borisov as OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever (and, per both outlets, the film's moral center)
Ike Barinholtz as Elon Musk
Monica Barbaro as Mira Murati
Cooper Hoffman as Greg Brockman
Mark Rylance as Geoffrey Hinton

Barinholtz joked about playing someone "universally beloved" like Musk, then clarified he's playing the 2014 version, when plenty of people thought "he's going to save you," not the "RNC with the chainsaw" one.

The Internet (Well, Critics) Had THOUGHTS

Variety rounded up first reactions, and they're spicy:

Next Best Picture's Matt Neglia called it "as entertaining as it is terrifying."
Variety's Eric Kohn called it a "pitch-perfect dark comedy."
Variety's Clayton Davis said it's Guadagnino's "best film in a decade."
Several critics said it feels like the proper follow-up to The Social Network.

Deadline's review headline says it "should make you very afraid." Cozy Christmas viewing!

Why Was This Movie Nearly Homeless?

Here's the behind-the-scenes plot twist. Amazon MGM dropped the nearly finished film, saying it would be "better served" at a different studio, after Amazon signed a huge $50 billion partnership with OpenAI, Variety reports. Neon stepped in and is releasing it December 25.

Neon is also already plotting an Oscar run: Garfield and Rylance in supporting actor, Borisov in lead, and Barbaro in supporting actress, per Variety's exclusive.

Writer Simon Rich said he wrote it as a "last ditch effort to warn mankind" and hopes "a couple of people pay attention."

So... Are You Watching?

A tech-bro dark comedy about the AI boom, released on Christmas Day, starring a man who has apparently walked exactly like the real guy. We are fascinated and slightly scared.

Will you be buying a ticket for Artificial, or is this one you'd rather skip? And should Garfield be eyeing another supporting-actor nod? Sound off below.

Sources: Variety — Garfield on playing Altman | Variety — First Reactions | Deadline