“The Social Reckoning” is a sort of sequel to “The Social Network,” the 2010 film about the origins of Facebook. The two movies have in common Mark Zuckerberg – one of the founders of Facebook – as an important character, and they both were written by Aaron Sorkin. Beyond that, however, “The Social Reckoning” stands on its own. The actors are different, Sorkin replaces David Fincher as director and almost none of the second film refers back to the events of the first. Still, that title, “The Social Reckoning” trumpets its lineage, and it’s impossible not to compare the two movies, to the new movie’s detriment. “The Social Network” is one of the great films of the past 20 years. It’s a character drama about an ambitious young genius who was also a big jerk, and the movie snapped. As for “The Social Reckoning,” it’s a serviceable docudrama that wants to educate us about how Facebook’s policies and practices fostered dissension for bigger profits. It achieves its aim to a degree, but it’s mission-oriented to a fault.
The new film centers on Frances Haugen, a Facebook analyst who became a whistleblower. A friend of Haugen’s had changed radically, adopting an extreme right-wing political philosophy. In exploring what led to her friend’s transformation, Haugen became aware of algorithms in Facebook by which a casual query could lead to insistent recommendations of interest groups, some of which spewed and reinforced potentially dangerous ideologies. These programs were especially harmful when tied to tactics to hook users into spending more and more time on the application. Haugen also learned that Facebook, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp, had reduced its policing of content so users could fabricate stories without consequence. Moreover, reprehensible groups, including some dedicated to child trafficking, could use the platform without oversight.
Zuckerberg and his associates defended their business practices under the guise of being free-speech absolutists. They ignored downsides and dismissed studies that detailed harm. Of course, there was self-interest in this position, as the increased traffic led to billions of dollars in increased shareholder value.
Haugen, unable to get Facebook management to pay attention to its destructive business practices, initiated contact with a Wall Street Journal investigative reporter named Jeff Horwitz. The movie depicts Haugen’s semireluctant collaboration on an exposé. The film’s timeline jumps around, so another narrative thread has Zuckerberg preparing for a testimony in front of a congressional committee looking into its operations.
Sorkin can be a gifted scenarist. Among his more notable works are “The West Wing,” “Moneyball” and “A Few Good Men.” A good director can mine Sorkin’s writing for gold. But when Sorkin directs his own screenplays, he has no one to rein in his weaker impulses. In “The Social Reckoning,” the dialogue is data heavy, and much of it is hyped up. The rat-a-tat-tat of it all keeps the picture moving along, but by the time the movie reaches its midpoint, you’re tired of the knowledge dump.
Sorkin has other writing tics. People declare random facts as asides, almost non sequiturs, and move on. Characters are given personality traits that are worked to death. Sometimes, as an audience sop, Sorkin tries to be cute along the edges. Out of nowhere, reporters discuss things such as whether “spatula” is a Yiddish word. In creating scenes, Sorkin often plants opposing voices somewhere in the room so people can spew viewpoints at one another.
Nowhere is the difference between “The Social Network” and “The Social Reckoning” more apparent than in their portrayals of Zuckerberg. In “Network,” Jesse Eisenberg took on the role. Zuck was undoubtedly a jerk, but he was also sharp and witty; he was alive. In “Reckoning,” Jeremy Strong takes over the role. Strong can be an amazing actor: Witness his work as Kendall Roy in “Succession.” But as Zuckerberg, he literally stays stiff-necked for all of his scenes. He’s not a person; he’s an actor’s stratagem, one-note and humorless.
Haugen is played by Mikey Madison in her first screen appearance since winning an Oscar for “Anora.” I’m a big fan, and she held my attention. I declare her innocent of any of the movie’s failures. That’s likewise true of Jeremy Allen White, another good actor, who plays Horwitz. But the character is hard to get a fix on. He’s evidently determined, but during the investigation he’s in charge of some interns whom he treats like crap. I think we’re supposed to find that attribute quirky, yet in 2026 his behavior lands badly.
In the end, “The Social Reckoning” has the air of prestige television from a different era. Its lessons are oversimplified and untimely (Facebook bad!), but at least I learned something about the manipulation behind the scenes at a social media powerhouse. How could I not? Half of the movie is almost a dramatized PowerPoint deck.
“The Social Reckoning” Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin. Starring Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Betty Gilpin. Rating: R. Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes.
