Disliking a film can be just as constructive, and possibly even more enjoyable, than being a fan of it.
A movie that is blatantly foolish, poorly conceived, or downright malicious can offer just as much material for reflection and debate as one that is truly impactful. In both scenarios, there is at least something that provokes a reaction.
This is why encountering a film like The Social Reckoning is so disheartening. This sequel to The Social Network, crafted by Aaron Sorkin, stands as a rare and lamentable example of anti-art.
It’s a film so devoid of substance and creativity that it hardly elicits genuine disdain, even as it tries to maintain an air of perpetual relevance. Overall, it’s such a tiresome experience that it lacks sufficient insight or perspective to even critique, much less actively dislike.
Given that the film addresses the issues surrounding social media and corporate-driven groupthink, it could serve as a case study of the very problem Sorkin seeks to illuminate: a relentless barrage of low-quality, unengaging “content” cluttering our timelines and recommended feeds.
Yet, this mishandling of rich source material comes from a talented cast and crew that includes some of the most intriguing creators in the industry today.
The Social Reckoning explores Facebook’s era of unending expansion and aims to critique one of the three tech titans responsible for society’s decline. (The other two are portrayed in Alex Gibney’s upcoming documentary Musk, which will release in Canada on October 16, and Luca Guadagnino’s critique of Sam Altman/OpenAI, Artificial, which recently premiered to acclaim at the New York Film Festival.)
The underlying message here suggests that this is a sharp and timely work that will enlighten viewers and challenge the status quo. However, rather than delivering something akin to Spotlight, we are presented with a narrative where The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White portrays Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, who is at a struggling outlet attempting to keep readers from migrating to social media. Meanwhile, Anora‘s Mikey Madison plays Frances Haugen, a disillusioned product manager on Facebook’s civic misinformation team.
Predictably, they soon connect and start to uncover and reveal a clandestine pattern of wrongdoing known as MSI (Meaningful Social Interactions), which has destabilized governments, impaired mental faculties, and undermined the very essence of truth. Once again, nothing surprising here.
At the same time, Jeremy Strong from Succession takes on the role of the infamous Mark Zuckerberg, who is in a steep decline both regarding his character’s public relations within the film and in how he has been depicted in cinema.
In 2021, Frances Haugen revealed herself as the whistleblower who disclosed thousands of Facebook documents indicating the company was aware of the societal harms caused by its platforms but chose not to disclose that information or make meaningful changes. Haugen’s story is now the focus of The Social Reckoning, and she asserts that it is crucial to regulate tech companies.
In this context, Zuckerberg is seen preparing under studio lights for a hearing regarding his company’s role in the deterioration of liberal democracy and the mental well-being of children globally.
In comparison to Jesse Eisenberg’s nuanced, sharp, and endlessly captivating portrayal, which earned him an Academy Award nomination, this version of Zuckerberg appears less inspired and more poorly developed than the Metaverse he envisioned.
Were it not for Strong’s theatrical portrayal that highlights the famously eccentric traits of a man who once had to publicly deny being a lizard, he would nearly be inconsequential to the plot.
Mikey Madison, left, and Jeremy Allen White star in The Social Reckoning. (Leah Gallo/Sony Pictures/The Associated Press)
Aside from his unnervingly controlled gestures reminiscent of a socially awkward praying mantis — and a hairstyle that falls somewhere between Fargo‘s Ole Munch and Starburst’s Berries and Cream man — this Zuckerberg remains largely in the background.
Zuckerberg’s motivations were critical to the original film, making it a compelling psychological character study. This time, however, we receive almost nothing from the character, who merely lurks in the background and appears in insignificant side scenes, occasionally reminding us of his existence, only to demonstrate that, in the grand scheme of things, he holds little sway over the events that unfold.
This is particularly true when considering the tedious, monotonous, and unimaginably cliché storyline.
In Sorkin’s portrayal, Zuckerberg resembles a cheap marketing ploy, serving as mere decoration to entice audiences into following the beleaguered yet enamored reporter Horwitz as he guides the determined, golden-hearted Haugen in her battle against the omnipotent figure behind the curtain. It resembles an amateur screenwriter’s reimagining of The Client, but with an emphasis on technology.
This cannot be entirely blamed on Strong. From his desperately committed portrayal of Kendall Roy to his scene-stealing performance as Trump’s fixer Roy Cohn in The Apprentice, it’s clear that if there were any substantial narrative to engage with, he would have found it.
Rather, the responsibility falls squarely on Sorkin’s shoulders. For those who already dislike the stylized dialogue and contrived scenarios of the West Wing and Moneyball writer, this may not be surprising. Yet, even for fans of Sorkin’s heightened reality style, The Social Reckoning proves to be a letdown.
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As The Social Reckoning hits theatres, Facebook whistleblower says the fight to rein in Big Tech continues
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Ultimately, all we are left with is a clumsily executed and overly sentimental tale that both exploits and glosses over its timely and relevant themes. It becomes a rambling, self-indulgent mix of journalistic clichés that leads to White and Madison alluding to other, superior journalism films in their dialogue.
It culminates in an ending that is so patently banal, it almost suggests that Sorkin intended to parody the sentimental closing of Stand By Me.
However, the most disappointing aspect of The Social Reckoning is not merely these failures. It is the pervasive absence of risk, specificity, or purpose. The entire runtime of the film feels like a mere pretext to consume time. It is astonishing that Sorkin — an Academy and Emmy-award winning writer — has produced something so utterly diluted that it hardly warrants any strong feelings.
In terms of comparison: while The Social Network used the founding of Facebook as a framework to explore its creator’s psyche, Reckoning relies on it as mere background to portray a Wikipedia entry that isn’t even particularly accurate.
Beyond its predecessor, Reckoning disappoints because it has nothing to truly dislike. Its overall dullness and timidity are disheartening. This, more than anything else, is the greatest failing a work of art can possess.