Released in 2010, "The Social Network" captured the early drama of Facebook's inception, but filmmaker Aaron Sorkin's new movie, "The Social Reckoning," faces a challenge: the tech world moves too fast to stay relevant.
While "The Social Network" focused on lawsuits and the founding of Facebook, Sorkin initially struggled to find a compelling angle for a follow-up. The tech giant, now Meta, has since accumulated a mountain of scandals, making a straightforward sequel seem dated. Sorkin found his inspiration in Frances Haugen, the former Facebook data engineer who leaked internal documents exposing the company's awareness of user harm in pursuit of growth.
"The Social Reckoning" opens with a chilling scene depicting a woman radicalized by Facebook, a direct result of Haugen's explanation for her whistleblowing. The film then explores Haugen's attempts to alert Facebook to its algorithm's role in pushing users toward extremist content, her eventual collaboration with journalist Jeff Horwitz, and interspersed flashbacks of Mark Zuckerberg preparing for a congressional hearing.
However, the film's narrative structure, with its portentous intertitles and timeline reminders, feels less fluid than "The Social Network's" deposition-driven approach. Despite sharp performances and Sorkin's signature dialogue, the pieces don't quite coalesce seamlessly, lacking the propulsive soundtrack of its predecessor.
Arriving amidst a wave of anticipated tech films, including satires on OpenAI and Elon Musk's ventures, "The Social Reckoning" feels slightly out of sync. Its climax, centered on the January 6th Capitol riot and Facebook's role in spreading conspiracy theories, may not resonate as a revelation in the current political climate. Yet, the film tackles significant ethical questions about truth negotiation and the power of tech companies.
The movie's effectiveness may hinge on whether audiences see it as a compelling critique or a mashup of Sorkin's previous works. Performances, particularly Bill Burr's as a composite ex-employee, offer sharp observations on the insatiable greed of tech leaders. While the film effectively highlights Haugen's bravery and the challenges of exposing tech giants, it struggles to present a truly shocking or transformative narrative.
As the postscript reveals Meta's discontinuation of its fact-checking program and continued reliance on user-generated content, the film concludes on a downbeat note. Despite Haugen and Horwitz bringing dark secrets to light, "The Social Reckoning" leaves viewers questioning whether the powerful players truly face consequences, leaving a sense that, in many ways, "everyone got away with it."
