Facebook’s algorithms have come under fire and investigation over the years. When a young employee of the social media giant learns a former friend of hers was indoctrinated and brainwashed through hate groups that Facebook connected her to, she reluctantly begins working with an investigative reporter from The Wall Street Journal, looking into the goings on at hand. But is there a bigger conspiracy at hand?
THE SOCIAL RECKONING is a standalone follow up to THE SOCIAL NETWORK, which came out nearly two decades ago. THE SOCIAL NETWORK screenwriter Aaron Sorkin takes a seat in the director’s chair this time around, telling the story of Facebook whistleblowers and the ensuing events. The movie doesn’t exactly have anything shocking or surprising to say, but Sorkin’s razor-sharp screenplay and direction make up for any shortcomings present.
Where THE SOCIAL RECKONING shines brightest is its relevance. Who among us doesn’t use Facebook on a daily basis? There have been many controversies involving the site over the years despite its popularity. Data breaches, fact checkers, connections to and indoctrinations to radicalized groups, and everything in between. THE SOCIAL RECKONING is the tale of a young lady who sees a friend lost to these trends, trying to see what went wrong and how. The casting as superb, including Mikey Madison (star of Best Picture winner ANORA) and Jeremy Allen White (THE IRON CLAW) as the pair who teams up to investigate it all, aiming to release their findings. The supporting cast is no less excellent, including the likes of Bill Burr, Jeremy Strong, and Billy Magnussen. While some players get more of a chance to shine than others, there’s not a weak performance in the film.
This material is in good hands with Aaron Sorkin at the helm. Sorkin’s writing is some of the sharpest in the entertainment industry, and that’s been true for decades now. From the time he penned the play A FEW GOOD MEN (adapted into a hugely successful film directed by the late Rob Reiner) right up to sitting in the director’s chair for the first time in 2017 with MOLLY’S GAME, this guy knows what he’s doing. He’s an expert at building tension, yet still manages to allow humor to enter the script without it filling out of place or forced. Characters in an Aaron Sorkin film feel like real human beings; something that’s all too often missing from cinema.
If there’s one weakness in an otherwise excellent film, it’s that the movie doesn’t exactly drop any shocking bombshells on its audience. Of course, this is based on actual events, and with said events being national news, we largely already know what’s coming and will be said. At times the movie tries to make its point too hard (how much footage of the January 6 Capitol Riots do we need to see?), and one can’t help but wonder if the movie could’ve benefited from some additional edits and removals of certain characters and tertiary plot points. That said, these are minor flaws in a solid movie.
THE SOCIAL RECKONING is relevant, hard hitting, well acted, well written, and well directed, with this material in the capable hands of Aaron Sorkin, who brings the true story to life masterfully. Are you going to walk away from this one learning anything you didn’t already know about the real-life news that unfolded as a result of these events? That’s debatable, but there’s no denying this is a well made film that tells its story exceptionally well. Recommended.