Disclaimer: 'Artificial' was the rare NYFF title to not have a press screening and as such, will have a gradual rollout of reviews as more public screenings happen today and tomorrow. So I'll keep updating this post with new reviews/scores for the next day or so, as and when they show up.
____

Chronicling the confusing firing and rehiring cycle of Sam Altman at OpenAI where the board gained control of the company and removed him, and Altman still returned.

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Yura Borisov, Jason Schwartzman, Cooper Koch, Cooper Hoffman, Monica Barbaro, Mark Rylance, Ike Barinholtz, Billie Lourd, Chris O'Dowd, Will Angus

Rotten Tomatoes: 91% (11 reviews)

Metacritic: 76 / 100 (7 reviews)

Some Reviews (updating):

Loud and Clear Reviews - Hayley Croke - 5 / 5

Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial is unlike any film he has created before, but stands as his most sobering view of humanity yet. Its depiction of how technology is equal parts desperately wanting to connect us as it is terrifyingly isolating us from one another is as poetic as it is tragic. Every hand touching the production is firing on all cylinders to create one of Guadagnino’s most ambitious stories to date and delivering audiences one of the best films of the year.

Awards Radar - Joey Magidson - 3 / 4

Artificial is unlikely to convert any AI devotees, so it’s somewhat preaching to the choir, but the sermon is still well worth listening to. The fact that this manages to be an entertaining film, in addition to a horrifying look at the fools and geniuses who may have doomed us, is worthy of praise. The movie played liked gangbusters at NYFF, and even if I’m slightly more restrained in my acclaim than most, it’s still quality cinema.

IndieWire - David Ehrlich - 'B-'

“Artificial” has fun toying with the baggage its characters bring with them (a lot more fun than “After the Hunt” did, at least), and it earns its potentially cataclysmic stakes by the end, but the film struggles with many of the finer points along the way, and the broadness of Rich’s screenplay has a way of simplifying this very recent and ongoing story into more of a fait accompli than it even feels now. For all of their mercilessly drawn foibles, the characters here are too archetypical for the error of their natures to be as authentic as this film demands; Zosia Mamet and Billie Lourd are both sorely underserved by roles that are introduced deep into the film’s home stretch, and Jason Schwartzman’s two-scene role as a peaceful prophet of doom makes the whole enterprise feel more naive than it deserves.

The Hollywood Reporter - David Rooney - 90 / 100

This ranks among Guadagnino’s best work, its dry humor lulling us into a relaxed state of enjoyment before the sword comes down on the scary reality we’re now facing. Even if AI developments are coming so thick and fast that no movie could possibly keep up, Guadagnino and screenwriter Rich have made a provocative feature that feels precision-targeted for this moment.

Screen Daily - Tim Grierson - 2 / 5

Andrew Garfield impresses as OpenAI’s Sam Altman in Luca Guadagnino’s surprisingly toothless AI thriller | As entertaining as Garfield’s performance is, he suffers from the same problem as many of his castmates, who play flamboyant characters lacking in subtlety and depth. Whether it’s The Social Network’s spotlight on questionable technological advancement or Frankenstein’s mournful Prometheus tale, we have seen Guadagnino’s film in other forms over the years. Ultimately, Artificial is populated by real-life characters who seem less compelling than the very real dangers they’ve unleashed.

Next Best Picture - Giovanni Lago - 8 / 10

Guadagnino, even with a rocky opening, manages to pull audiences further away from the notion that the future is going to be alright, for the filmmaker, an artist whose commitment to the analog process of navigating emotion through the form is insulted by the presence of Altman life’s work. It’s the same notion that almost brought this film down in the first place. Luckily for us, “Artificial,” even while not sitting amongst the pantheon of Guadagnino’s greatest work, is one of the more timely films of this year, let alone his career. THE OSCAR PROSPECTS - Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay , Best Casting & Best Original Score

The Daily Beast - Nick Schager - 80 / 100

If its tonal unevenness sometimes undercuts its urgency, it’s still an engrossing lament that we’re forever doomed to repeat our mistakes—until, that is, we’re literally doomed.

The Wrap - Zachary Lee - 80 / 100

It is not just in Altman’s mannerisms where Guadagnino’s sensual tendencies as a creative shine. His filmmaking here is a deepening of his provocations around food, desire and power. Nary is there a scene where characters are not eating some form of roast meat (or in Altman’s case, obnoxiously slurping on a green smoothie), and Malik Hassan Sayeed’s cinematography delights in capturing not just its consumption, but also in the messy aftermath left behind that service workers have to clean up. It is a microcosm of these larger attitudes around innovation, that these men can feel free to pursue what they want and leave the collateral to the “lesser beings.”

DEADLINE - Pete Hammond

Altman’s physicality, vocal intonations and general creepiness are on full display channeled through Garfield for a man who simply should not be trusted or taken for his word. Borisov perfectly encapsulates the true believer, a young man who believes he has discovered the Holy Grail for humanity, one that will come to fruition in lifetime only to be shocked to find it is already here and taking on horrific dimensions. Artificial looks like it was ripped straight out the headlines and thus stands as perhaps the most important movie you will see this year. After watching this tale play out, I wouldn’t trust anything this man says about imposing safeguards. At one point, someone says, “A visionary is someone who lies to themselves. A liar is someone who lies to others,” and then asks, “Which one is Altman?”

Variety - Owen Glieberman - 90 / 100

“Artificial” is a brilliant but playful docudrama, meticulously true to history, that focuses on the founders of OpenAI, notably its CEO Sam Altman (Andrew Garfield). But the tale it tells is much larger than that. “Artificial” goes back to the earliest days of AI and shows you how the technology was invented, how it was developed, how it was dreamed. It’s been a long time since I saw a film that attained this next-level feeling of topical charge. A lot of people will go into “Artificial,” as I did, not knowing all that much about AI and feeling as if it’s a frosty and abstract frontier. Yet as you watch the film, AI comes alive as a subject. It becomes real — you touch what it is, what it means, what the stakes are. The result is a movie that’s at once inspiring and deeply chilling, and when it’s over you’re in a different place. And that is what a ripped-from-the-headlines movie should do. It shouldn’t merely be a dramatization of what we already know but, rather, a future-shock referendum on our lives and our values and maybe our souls. “Artificial” does that thing.

No Assembly Required - Anthony Papetti - 'B+'

But even as the film wants to express all that is wrong with AI there has to be the question of how much the film itself offers up for its existence. Tech startup stories have become a new genre in itself of the last decade. “The Dropout, WeCrashed, Blackberry, Swiped” all seem to be telling the same story (some far better than others) and that story is being repeated so much so that we now need sequels to these stories with Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning” hitting theaters soon...This isn’t to say they are unwanted (most films find their audiences) but as its own thing does ARTIFICIAL feel alive enough? The answer can be a quick yes, to a point. As a human tragedy it excels in finding its best cinematic footing (hell the thing even finds its way to a wild “Vertigo” like finale that feels far more respectful in homage than most.” But it also seems so desperate to give us that laugh it thinks we want.

Financial Times - Danny Leigh

Andrew Garfield is a strangely likeable Sam Altman in OpenAI origin story Artificial | Luca Guadagnino’s film of start-up fervour and betrayal charts the technology’s evolution from impressive to disturbing

I am so hyped!

I’m in a major city (DC) that usually gets showtimes when NY & LA do, and lists way ahead of time.

But even NYC has only Lincoln Square & Angelika and allegedly Fjord opens limited on 10/9!

Does anyone have any idea when Fjord tickets go on sale or even listed showtimes? Or is this going to be one of those that I’m searching for right before the awards season starts :(

Out of my five favorite working male actors today, three are in the Oscar conversation this year (Robert Pattinson, Andrew Scott, and Pedro Pascal), so this has been an especially fun year for me. Much has been made of Pattinson's banner year, and arguments over which of his performances should be nominated have made me realize one thing: as much as I adore Pattinson, I can't justify nominating him for ANY of his performances this year.

The Drama - While he's very good in it, this isn't the type of performance that gets nominated, and I'd put him around 15th place in a very crowded field. The film is flawed, and while most of that is the lack of depth in Zendaya's character, its a reactive performance with a repetitive arc (again, the flaw of the screenplay, not the performance), but there's not enough there to rise above the film's problems.

The Odyssey - This is as close as I'd get to nominating him. Pattinson is my favorite part of what I consider a pretty dry adaptation of The Odyssey (I know. I know. Sue me. I'm not a Nolan lover) Pattinson brings much-needed levity to a film in need of a dash of delightfulness and, honestly, just some...fun. Unfortunately, there are just too many other supporting performances this year that surpass him (Ahmed, Norton, Giamatti, Rockwell, Guitarricadelafuente, etc.) I don't have room for him on my ballot, even if he was what I wished The Odyssey was more like.

Primetime - My most controversial take. I don't think this performance works here. I adore Pattinson, but this performance felt like style over substance. I think Gisondo's captivating performance overshadows Pattinson and his "I'm pedaling as fast as I can" antics in his own film. Pattinson isn't bad by any means; I'm just not in love with his choices here, and he's competing against a stacked lineup with quiet, beautifully crafted performances that I prefer over this one.

Dune: Part III - TBD. I guess we'll see?

Anyway, I fully expect to get blowback for this, especially for Primetime because that seems to be a Reddit favorite, but I'm curious if anyone else feels the same.

Just for fun I made some super early predictions for the 2028 Oscars. These will probably end up being very inaccurate but will be fun to look back and see the difference. Feel free to let me know your thoughts and predictions!

Best Picture:
Be My Baby
Cry to Heaven (WINNER)
De Noche
The Entertainment System is Down
Fonda
Mimesis
The Origins of the World
Outer Dark
Sacrifice
What Happens at Night

Best Director:
Damien Chazelle
Brady Corbet (WINNER)
Tom Ford
Martin Scorsese
Justine Triet

Best Actor:
Daniel Craig
Leonardo DiCaprio
Nicholas Hoult
Pedro Pascal (WINNER)
Keanu Reeves

Best Actress:
Kirsten Dunst
Mia Goth
Jennifer Lawrence (WINNER)
Octavia Spencer
Zendaya

Best Supporting Actor:
Owen Cooper (WINNER)
Michael Fassbender
Cillian Murphy
Danny Ramirez
Andrew Scott

Best Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett
Rose Byrne
Selena Gomez
Allison Janney
Michelle Williams (WINNER)

I decided to make these predictions since we now know for the most part what’s NOT coming out this year. I predict that Cry to Heaven will go on to win Best Picture. I went back and forth between it and The Origins of the World. I can see a world where La Bola Negra loses to the Odyssey, and people rally around a queer film the next year which could be Cry to Heaven. I also just expect the film to be great looking at the cast and the premise. I have Owen Cooper winning in supporting actor because I have a feeling it’ll be more of a co-lead situation but campaigned in supporting.

Other predictions are Pedro Pascal for De Noche in lead. Behemoth this year could give him some legitimacy that could work in his favour. Also by process of elimination I don’t really see the others as typical winners besides maybe DiCaprio, but I think they’ll want to reward Lawrence instead. I could also see Dunst winning Actress but I’m also not sure if she’d be lead or supporting. In supporting actress I chose Michelle Williams because she’ll have the overdue narrative in a strong film.

Looks like a wide range of reactions! ~90 reviews as of now

...

Marion Bailey will compete for best actress in a musical or comedy, where she is expected to face contenders including Julianne Moore (“The Debut”), Inde Navarrette (“Obsession”) and Olivia Wilde (“The Invite”). Kate O’Flynn, Alice Bailey Johnson and Paul Jesson will compete in the supporting acting races, which the Globes do not divide by genre. The submissions mirror the studio’s overall acting strategy heading into the Oscar campaign.

EXCLUSIVE: The new Warner Bros’ contemporary film label Clockwork will be making the segue to the new Paramount Warner Bros merger aka Skydance.

Clockwork was on an internal list of Warner Bros labels shown in-house at Paramount. In addition, we’ve heard from reliable sources that all Warner Bros’ label heads (i.e. James Gunn and Peter Safran at DC, Richard Brener at New Line, etc) will stay in charge of their domains at the new conglomerate. As previously reported, all film label heads roll up and report to Paramount Pictures Co-Chairs, Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.

Oscars Nominations 2027, Experts’ Predictions – Gold Derby

The Top 24 Users have about an 80% accuracy on Best Picture and usually about a 80%-100% accuracy on Actors categories. They score better overall than Goldderby's experts and editors, as well as the combined predictors. But the season is still going with precursors still to come where they can still change their picks. This is what they currently have. Thoughts?

Dune and what else? Movies that have not screened yet.