The Social Reckoning centers on the 2021 Facebook leak.
Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) is a data scientist at Facebook and part of the Civic Integrity Team, a specialized unit focused primarily on public safety on the platform. Believing her work can positively impact decision-making and proud to be part of a team with a noble cause, Frances is initially sold on the company’s mission to connect people around the world.
That changes when she sees a video of a friend fighting with police officers, which leads to her discovery that Facebook’s algorithm actively influences users to join extremist groups. The logical approach is to inform her superiors. However, when all her attempts to bring the issue to light are rejected or ignored, she takes it upon herself to leak the story.
This is when she meets Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White), an investigative journalist at The Wall Street Journal.
The timing could not be better. Jeff is already investigating Facebook and simply needs a smoking gun to fully go after the company. When Frances replies to one of his messages, he immediately connects with her. Their initial meeting is supposed to be a one-time exchange, but it grows into a partnership as Facebook begins making questionable internal moves.
With both of them now burdened with foresight and the task of bringing the truth to the public, they covertly gather more internal information on Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong). They use this data to flesh out a series of articles with one specific goal in mind: to make it hurt enough that the company is forced to change.
The Social Reckoning is a standalone sequel to the award-winning David Fincher film, The Social Network.
Despite being marketed as such, almost everyone involved in the first film did not return. The only two major returning figures are Aaron Sorkin as screenwriter and Jeff Cronenweth as cinematographer. Additionally, Sorkin takes over Fincher’s chair as the director.
From the very beginning, there is a huge expectation for The Social Reckoning to overcome. The Social Network is a masterpiece and one of the best films of the 21st century. This means there is an inescapable legacy that this new film will never outrun. It is forever tethered to the reputation of its predecessor.
To its credit though, it tries.
The performances are good and there are visuals here that feel like they belong in The Social Network. It also benefits from Sorkin’s masterful writing. Let me quickly correct that: it greatly benefits from Sorkin’s masterful writing.
Even though it lacks the visual precision of Fincher, there is an energy in the dialogue that lures you into this dramatized exposé. One thing it does well is simplify complex ideas for non-data scientists like you and me. The film is built on numbers and is not shy about throwing the audience into the deep end of the analytics, but you can trust it to explain the data and its implications.
If I wasn’t able to spell it out for you enough, the material is really good and it is just as compelling as the first one. I actually even beleive that the topics discussed here are more important than those in The Social Network.
The Social Reckoning tackles the commodification of outrage or showing how hate and anger are turned into a product that people will surely like, comment, or share. This engagement equals profit for Facebook. The chilling reality though is that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook know this. In fact, they have data connecting their users’ posts to crime, mental health crises, and misinformation. Yet, they never moved a finger to prevent, stop, or fix it even if they could.
The Social Reckoning tells us something we probably already know, but it makes it ten times more depressing.
Anyway, back to Sorkin directing. It is not a problem for me. It can be a bit boring at times, and it is clear he struggles to juggle the jumping timelines, but it honestly could be worse. At least Sorkin is competent and has a few directorial efforts under his belt.
Plus, Sorkin is supported by an amazing group of actors. Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White, and Mikey Madison are all fantastic in this film. Madison is the clear standout. She plays a character cursed to see an impending disaster but she’s struggling to get the word out and be believed by those in power. She also navigates all of this pressure while maintaining professional loyalty with Facebook. That kind of complex characterization of Frances Haugen requires a talented actress to do it justice, and justice is exactly what Madison delivers.
All in all, marketing The Social Reckoning as a direct sequel to The Social Network was a mistake. First, it sets unprecedented expectations, and second, there is barely any connective tissue between them. This high standard somewhat undermines the film’s own message. It is actually a decent film, good even. It successfully gets its message across, convincing us that we need to hold these platforms accountable and be more mindful than ever of what we do online.
4/5
Now showing in cinemas.