A lot has happened since director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin released The Social Network 16 years ago. The social media landscape has shifted dramatically, and Sorkin was right to feel that there was more than enough material for a sequel. Written and directed by Sorkin, The Social Reckoning functions as a standalone sequel defined as a legal thriller. It follows a whistleblower exposing Facebook’s internal policies, detailing how they pose a danger to its users, and leading up to the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
We follow real-life whistleblower Frances Haugen (played by Mikey Madison) as she is contacted by investigative reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allan White), for an interview. Frances, a data engineer who is part of a team that is tasked to create safeguards for Facebook’s social and community interactions, has made several concerning observations. She has been trying to alert management, but no one seems willing to listen. So, she turns to Jeff so her voice can finally be heard. This leads to the discovery that the algorithm of the social media site with over 1.2 billion users has led to the radicalization of many of its users. Running parallel to her story, set three years later, Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong) prepares for a tense congressional inquiry as the reports begin to surface.
The film jumps between two separate timelines. One is independent of the other. Mark Zuckerberg seems unaware of what is happening in the past – where a loyal employee who loves the goal and ambition of Facebook, is talking to a reporter because the management doesn’t seem to care that the company is radicalizing its users. The use of the timeline jump emphasizes the coldness with which Zuckerberg runs his company and that the people above have no idea or care about what is happening on the ground. From the way Zuckerberg is failing the inquiry preparations, we can tell that all he cares about is the bottom line: profit.
It also helps that Jeremy Strong plays the older Zuckerberg almost like a robot: emotionless, cold, and guarded. He trusts no one. He is used to getting his way and treats everyone around him like they are there as subordinates. It is a calculated portrayal meant to make him feel culpable of all the things the film is blaming him for, and it does its job of creating a frightening villain for this take on the narrative.
While Jeremy Allen White does an amazing job as Jeff Horwitz, cool and composed as he goes about his job; he’s a real pro, not investing in the people and keeping his distance because he knows this can get ugly. But the few moments that he can show that he cares, it’s so evident. But the real heavy lifting comes from Academy Award winner Mikey Madison, who is at the center of all of this. She’s the spark that changes everything. Portraying Haugen as socially awkward and without a filter, Madison embodies someone who is accidentally funny yet completely relatable. She serves as the heart and soul of this film, and she carries it without breaking a sweat.
These great performances ground the film. True to Aaron Sorkin’s signature style, the dialogue comes packed with rapid-fire technical jargon line delivery, but you have to take it on faith that it will all make sense later. His world is real because he doesn’t dumb it down for the audience, he never sacrifices his world building for the audience who doesn’t pay attention. Instead, he writes his scripts in a way that allows a moment for everything to be explained and to be clear. Halfway through the movie, we understand what is at stake and there’s a lot that is at stake here.
This is a movie that encourages us to start asking questions about what we are exactly seeing online, how much of it is random and how much of it is intentional. It informs us that these social media sites are designed to keep us engaged, regardless of the negative effects they may have on our lives. Their goal is to make a profit out of this at the expense of our mental health and the integrity of our social fabric.
I really hope people get to see this film. If not to truly understand how insidious these social media platforms are doing to our society, then at least to witness the fantastic performances from its cast. Mikey Madison delivers a standout lead performance, and Betty Gilpin makes full use of her limited scenes to stand out in every scene as the editor of The Wall Street Journal. It’s a well-crafted film that hits all the right notes and delivers a hopeful ending, that is only undercut by the reality of what continues to happen today.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Powerful, timely, and driven by incredible performances from Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White, The Social Reckoning is a sharp, necessary piece of cinema that demands to be seen, not just for its outstanding lead performances, but for the essential questions it forces us to ask about the digital world we live in. Don’t skip this one. Check showtimes here.
