Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay for The Social Network imagined the neuroses of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Sorkin’s follow up, The Social Reckoning, examines the Facebook algorithm that steers users towards extremist groups. The history is interesting. The presentation less so.
Zuckerberg is reduced to a supporting character. Jeremy Strong plays him as a misanthropic robot. The co-protagonist is now reporter Jeff Horwitz, played by Jeremy Allen White as a misogynistic robot. He’s joined by Frances Haugen, a whistleblower played by Mikey Madison as an adorkable romcom heroine. Sorkin gleefully objectifies her with a series of slinky cocktail dresses. Then hands her awkward speeches about her social awkwardness. These are not compelling characters.
The films’ strongest scene is the prologue. A drunk driver (Portia Doubleday) unleashes a racist tirade against two police officers (Michael Braugher and Sierra Capri). Then posts the footage on Facebook. This prompts Haugen to begin her investigation. Sorkin directs the scene like a horror movie. It’s designed to make us uncomfortable. But it also lets us off the hook. We’re nothing like this woman. She must be an outlier. Then we get some statistics (Sorkin loves statistics) letting us know just how many of these types are on the site.
Why do criminals and hate groups thrive on Facebook? How does the algorithm radicalize them? The film spends 112 minutes building the case that Zuckerberg benefits from their engagement. Is money his only motivation? Does he agree with their politics? Is he simply too stubborn to admit his mistakes? Sorkin isn’t sure. All his Zuckerberg gives us is a blank stare.
I didn’t hate this film. It does not successfully dramatize the investigation, yet the facts themselves merit attention. Hollywood is offering several portraits of wealthy villains this fall. Digger, Artificial, Musk and You Can See Everything each approach the topic from different angles. Will they face a reckoning? At the end of the day, we can only control our own behavior. Already deleted your account? Good. Still using the site? Consider alternatives. Get your world news from one source? Diversify. And vote.
You can read more of my reviews on The Avocado, Letterboxd and Serializd. My podcast, Rainbow Colored Glasses, can be found here.