“The Social Reckoning” is a weak predecessor to the timeless masterpiece that is “The Social Network”, with both films being written by Aaron Sorkin. What seems to make the latter a cult classic is the presence of director David Fincher and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. After seeing “The Social Reckoning”, their expertise is deeply missed.
The film was released to theaters on Oct. 9, and it depicted former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, and her revelations about the disastrous algorithmic effects of the social media platform. The film uses non-linear storytelling to connect the pushing of sensationalist, “outrage-bait” content and the radicalization that led to the Jan. 6 riot.
Jeremy Strong’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg felt like a lizard pretending to be human, which may be accurate to real life. However, in the grand scheme of the movie, it seemed that Strong was doing a vocal impression with dyed-orange hair. While he is known for being a devout and talented method actor, Strong’s look did not translate well to this character. I think someone with a more youthful presence would’ve worked better. The other actors were not very memorable, but did the best with the script they were given.
Sorkin is known for pioneering many political dramas, like “The West Wing” and “The Newsroom” which aired in the 2000s, that are still appreciated today. Although his witty and fast-paced writing style may have some to do with this phenomenon, I find that it is because we can look back at the events covered with some historical perspective, unlike the disastrous effects that social media has on the American political psyche.
However, the movie ends with Haugen literally fist-bumping the air after a glorious victory in court. But we see none of these wins in today’s climate and, weirdly, the movie acknowledges that Meta, formerly Facebook, has resorted to abandoning fact checking altogether. With this addition, the message of the film seems muddled.
Today, we are still grappling with rapid political polarization. Most already know that social media greatly contributes to this, so instead of seeing a corny, millennial-coded “takedown” of Facebook, I’d rather see something that tells us how we can fix it.
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