One signal

A new wave of films is taking a markedly more critical view of Silicon Valley, from a drama about Facebook to a film centred on OpenAI chief Sam Altman. The Verge connects that shift to real-world scrutiny of technology’s power, and to the commercial awkwardness of making films about companies that studios may have ties to.

Its account says Amazon withdrew from distributing Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial after announcing a major investment in OpenAI. The film is due for a wide release on 25 December, according to The Verge. That is a pointed collision between tech money and a story about tech power, even if it does not settle why Amazon walked away. The culture signal is worth a look: Silicon Valley founders are becoming less reliable material for heroic origin stories. When a film criticises the industry, should studios with tech investments be expected to release it anyway, or is that asking for a conflict they would rather avoid?

Discuss: When a studio has invested in a company a film criticises, should it still be expected to distribute the film, or is that an unreasonable conflict to demand it take on?

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