The Social Reckoning review
Jeremy Strong’s slow-talking Facebook founder turns into a cameo, background to a thriller about a whistleblower that somehow never mentions Trump
TL;DR
- The film is a spiritual sequel to 'The Social Network', written and directed by Aaron Sorkin.
- It tells the story of whistleblower Frances Haugen and reporter Jeff Horwitz challenging Facebook's algorithm changes in 2021.
- These changes allegedly supercharged engagement through rage bait and hate speech, contributing to extremist group surges and teen bullying.
- Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg, described as a slow-talking cameo, in contrast to Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal in the original film.
- Mikey Madison plays Haugen, and Jeremy Allen White plays Horwitz, representing principled journalism.
- The film is criticized for its ubiquitous 'Sorkinspeak' that blurs character distinctions and for its questionable dramatic choices, such as Haugen's attire in secret meetings.
- A disturbing opening scene shows a woman radicalized by Facebook, but the film's conclusion and closing credits suggest it doesn't fully address current issues like the continued lack of political ad verification and the current political climate.
- The film notably omits any mention of Trump or MAGA activity.