Artificial review: Andrew Garfield enters his villain era

Andrew Garfield's portrayal of Sam Altman in Luca Guadagnino's "Artificial" showcases the actor's acting prowess as a villain. Despite being known for his heroic roles, Guadagnino sees potential in Garfield's charms to bring out a villainous character. The film centers on Soviet-born computer scientist Ilya Sutskever, played by Yura Borisov, who becomes entangled with Altman's increasingly manipulative schemes.

Altman, played by Garfield, is a cunning antagonist who deceives Ilya and the world into accepting his vision for the artificial intelligence industry. The film contrasts Ilya's honesty and humility with Altman's deception and strategic planning. Even Elon Musk, played by comedian Ike Barinholtz, is depicted as an egocentric tech bro.

However, the film fails to delve deeply into the critique of toxic masculinity in the tech space, instead focusing on Altman's seemingly rejection of it. The visuals add depth to the narrative, but the screenplay lacks substance, feeling more like a finger-wagging parable than an insightful exploration of the complexities of AI.

Andrew Garfield's performance in "Artificial" effectively transforms Altman from a charismatic figure into a movie monster, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.