First, it must be said that The Social Reckoning is not a sequel to The Social Network (which was released back in 2010). It is more a new tale set in that world. It also sees the return of Aaron Sorkin as both writer and taking over the reins from David Fincher, the director as well. With that comes words, many, many words. Sorkin’s words are his stock in trade, and they continue to be intelligent and demanding of your full attention.
Jesse Eisenberg turned down the offer to reprise his role as Mark Zuckerberg and is replaced this time by Jeremy Strong. He continues with his usual intense method approach, and this time it suits the material well. Taking an actor easy to dislike to play a person even more disagreeable works in the film’s favour. The two leads, Mikey Madison (Anora) as the real-life whistleblower Frances Haugen and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) as the Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, share real on screen chemistry.
Their relationship is fraught with tension and is pleasingly absent of the usual sentimentality that removes the viewer from the real. Madison gets the nuances just right, and if any of you know any super intelligent people, she nails their palpable sense of isolation. It’s also to Sorkin’s writing credit that he steers far clear of having the couple become romantically entwined. The rest of the cast is strong, and Betty Gilpin is outstanding as Kris, one of the Journal’s bureau chiefs.
The film plays out as a horror show with the leader of one of the most powerful companies in the world showing an almost complete lack of empathy and detachment from the norms of humanity. Zuckerberg’s profit-at-all-costs stance is profoundly illustrated by his reaction to the horrors of the invasion of the American Capitol on January 6, 2021. This is smart filmmaking that requires you to pay attention and, through that effort, develop a healthy sense of real outrage.
Rob Hudson
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