Aaron Sorkin returns to the world of Facebook with The Social Reckoning, following whistleblower Frances Haugen and journalist Jeff Horwitz as they expose the company's closely guarded secrets.
It is difficult to imagine a world without Facebook and, in fact, most people born after the beginning of the 21st century have always had it in their lives. Created by Harvard University undergraduate student Mark Zuckerberg, it began as more or less a digital phone book for those attending Harvard in 2004 before expanding to other schools and eventually opening registration to the general public in 2006. In 2010, a feature film written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), titled The Social Network, dramatized Zuckerberg and the beginnings of Facebook, garnering critical acclaim and box office success. Sixteen years later, the story continues this fall with the release of The Social Reckoning.
Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison; Anora) loved her job as a member of the civic integrity team at Facebook until she analyzed the data and discovered that the company was manipulating the algorithm in order to create more engagement among users. Journalist Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White; The Bear), working for The Wall Street Journal, began investigating Facebook. Seeing an opportunity to make Facebook better, Haugen gave Horwitz information to try and expose the manipulation. Originally, she wanted to remain anonymous and only agreed to give Horwitz certain pieces of information, but over time, she ended up giving The Wall Street Journal over 23,000 documents and went on the record as a whistleblower against Facebook.
While the companion piece was written by Sorkin, it was not directed by David Fincher (Gone Girl), who directed The Social Network. Instead, Sorkin chose to take on the director role himself, not to the best of results. Unlike other investigative journalism dramas, i.e., All the President's Men, there is very little sense of urgency or immediate danger in The Social Reckoning. That lack of tension leads to an uninspired movie that is interesting but doesn't hold the audience's attention as other thriller docudramas might.
Unfortunately, Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) chose not to return to the role of Zuckerberg, which is a shame. Instead, Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) was tapped to play the famous Facebook founder but isn't well cast. He portrays Zuckerberg as a cruel, unfeeling individual who always has a scowl on his face. However, the real computer programmer is often seen smiling in photos and seems to have a personality unlike Strong's version. This interpretation may be, in part, Sorkin's interpretation, but it makes the CEO seem very robotic or tuned into only one emotion...that of anger.
Madison, on the other hand, reminds us once again why she won an Academy Award. She portrays Haugen as quirky and a little socially awkward but also as a strong young woman who doesn't want to compromise her principles for anyone. White does a decent job playing Horwitz but doesn't offer any sense of urgency and shows little concern for Haugen's safety.
There is no doubt Sorkin has a way with words, but his dialogue here becomes a little preachy and bogged down in minutiae. It is also extremely apparent that he dislikes Zuckerberg immensely. Interestingly, Sorkin tries to tell the story behind the manipulation of algorithms at Facebook while it is obvious that he is very anti-Zuckerberg, an individual who, in his own way, manipulates the audience towards his way of thinking.
The Social Reckoning isn't as much of a sequel as it is a Social Network-adjacent movie. The only thing the two films have in common is that they both involve Facebook. Otherwise, they are both standalone movies with a social and/or political agenda.
If you like these actors or happen to be a Sorkin fan, the movie isn't too bad, but if you want something other than a somewhat preachy story with great dialogue, you have come to the wrong place.
Grade: C+
