Out this week in Irish cinemas is The Social Reckoning, a film that dares to remind us of the spotlight put on Mark Zuckerberg. The Social Reckoning stars Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, and Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg and is directed and written by Aaron Sorkin.
The film follows Frances Haugen (Madison), who is an employee of Facebook. She has discovered that there is possibly something wrong within Facebook and that not only are the higher-ups aware of this problem, they’re empowering it. Enter Jeff Horwitz (Allen White), a new reporter for the Washington Post looking to bring down Zuckerberg and his digital empire.
The Social Reckoning is a film carried by its cast. Madison has an awkward charm that I became invested in without even realising it. She’s someone who is socially awkward and believes in the “mission” of Facebook, and when it becomes corrupted in her eyes, she feels that necessary urge to do something about it. Allen White’s Jeff Horwitz is an affable reporter; his lack of techno-savvy is endearing, and watching him stumble through the techno-maze to find the truth at its centre is engaging.
What was a strange but genuinely interesting element was Strong’s Zuckerberg. He’s barely in it for 10 minutes, and his performance is magnetic, in the sense that I couldn’t look away. The main reason was that it felt like an impression, almost cartoonish at points. I was always intrigued, though. Especially when he and Bill Burr’s Charlie share scenes.
You didn’t give me a story; you told me a story
Another fascinating element of The Social Reckoning is the facts and figures of it all. Learning about what Facebook did to stay relevant and the monstrous nature of those in power is disturbing. All of this is elevated by some interesting cinematography choices. Unfortunately, what brings this film down comes from a lot of the choices of writer/director Aaron Sorkin.
There is a preachy nature to his writing that honestly doesn’t work in this film. The main reason for this comes down to the ultimate failure of this narrative. We know that all this amounts to nothing. The Social Reckoning, in my opinion, is lacking in an actual reckoning, and because of this, the film suffers. It makes itself out as if something monumental has happened, but because we’re still living through all this, the message feels tepid. There are also a lot of predictable beats that he hits, and it’s surprising that someone as experienced as Sorkin delivers these.
Ultimately, The Social Reckoning is a frustrating film. Sorkin aims to teach us a lesson, and it just falls flat. Thankfully, the cast are a lot of fun, and there are moments in this film that will stay with you thanks to the truly monstrous nature of the world we live in.
Stay tuned to Scannain for more news, reviews and interviews.