In 2010 director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin delivered one of the most influential films in recent memory with their tale of the founding of Facebook The Social Network. In the decade and a half since its release, Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg himself have been enveloped in countless controversies. Naturally, in comes Sorkin again to deliver a new take on the infamous company, in what has been marketed as a clear sequel to The Social Network but is really a separate entity.
The Social Reckoning largely focuses on Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) and former Facebook employee turned whistleblower Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison). Haugen is looking to shed light on changes in Facebook's algorithm that essentially ballooned the amount of people diverted to extremist groups, while Horwitz seeks to publish a piece on Facebook's growing misspread of information. While they are at work, we also cut to Zuckerberg himself (Jeremy Strong) as he works to repair his public image just before the January 6th riots in 2021.
This is a tough one to dissect, as I wholly agree with the stance Sorkin is taking here, and I find in this ever growing digital age that stories like this need to be told and seen. Unfortunately I just don't think the finished product here is all that good. I think on the whole, giving this such a clear connection to The Social Network kind of set it up for failure. You go into the film expecting the sharp edge of the film but Fincher's absence is felt right away, leaving Sorkin's dialogue floating amidst a cinematic landscape lacking that same edge. Visually it's hard to credit this as anything more than just fine, and gone is the iconic musical score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross in place of the iconic Alexandre Desplat whose style just doesn't quite work here.
Many have cited Sorkin's dialogue as "not being how real people talk" and I don't entirely think that's the case here, I just also don't think his dialogue is very strong. I'm personally a fan of the snappy way his dialogue operates, but there's something about it here that largely feels flat. Sadly, despite the film's stacked cast there aren't many performances that elevate the dialogue. Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison are a pair of actors I appreciate a lot, and they do have moments where they shine, but for the most part I found them to be just okay. That's kind of the all around vibe here, it's just fine, it's competent but little more than that. Weirdly enough, the performance that impressed me the most was Bill Burr of all people. He brings that sharp edge that I think the film is lacking, with Wunmi Mosaku also shining in these parts of the film. Jeremy Strong does a good impression of Mark Zuckerberg, but his role isn't given enough depth to shine as a full performance rather than an impression.
This is a deeply topical movie, and one I'd suggest checking out even just to learn more about the subject. Sadly, the film itself falls flat and never comes close to reaching the heights of its predecessor. 2.5/5
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