“The Social Reckoning” has a compelling, infuriatingly relevant story to tell, but writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s film adaptation never quite does it justice.
Following Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White), the film exposes how the social media giant prioritized engagement and advertising revenue over public safety, mental health, and truth. It’s damning stuff, particularly in its examination of how algorithms fuel misinformation and political polarization. As someone who has personally experienced the damage that online echo chambers can cause (with friends sadly lost to political indoctrination), I found the subject matter especially resonant.
While the casting isn’t flat-out terrible, it definitely features an unexpected pairing of actors, and the performances are a mixed bag. Jeremy Strong makes for a chilling (but occasionally cartoonish) Mark Zuckerberg, and his casting is far more effective than I expected. White is good enough as a newspaper man, but Madison is thr glaring weak link, delivering a performance that feels clunky, strained, and painfully out of place.
Sorkin is a skilled writer, and his script is strongest when unpacking the mechanics of investigative journalism and corporate misconduct. He does an especially good job at explaining complicated technology without talking down to the audience. Unfortunately, he also gets so bogged down in geeky algorithm talk and financial jargon that the story loses its way. The rapid-fire dialogue that initially keeps things moving becomes exhausting, and the film drops a considerable amount of momentum in the middle.
While the writing is good, Sorkin’s direction is visually lifeless. The film looks and feels like a movie that was made to go direct to streaming rather than a theatrical feature. The heavy-handed symbolism and repetitive insistence on how much Frances loves her job and the company become unintentionally laughable, while the rushed third act leans on exposition-heavy speeches instead of a satisfying resolution. For a serious and dramatic story about the real world consequences of corporate greed and unchecked tech power, the super corny ending is particularly disappointing.
There’s a sharp, worthwhile film buried somewhere in “The Social Reckoning.” The story deserves to be told, especially since the warning it delivers is urgent. But compelling subject matter and a strong script can only carry a movie so far, and this is a case of a good story making for a decidedly mediocre film.
By: Louisa Moore
