Film Review: The Social Reckoning

The Social Reckoning
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Alcon Entertainment, The Gotham Group, Escape Artists
In Theaters: 10.09.2026

When The Social Network came out in 2010, we all watched it from the point of view of people whose lives, networks and social circles had become inexorably linked to the tech platform. I loved Facebook and the way it kept me connected with people, and aside from being a bit too preoccupied by it, I saw little downside. The film was a clever and fascinating glimpse at the good and bad of how it changed everything — but it didn’t really make us rethink how or whether we used it on a daily basis. It’s 16 years later, and as a former addict who keeps my account active to stay in touch with people but literally has to take a deep breath and summon up my courage whenever I have to log in, I entered into The Social Reckoning with wistful memories of simpler times but sadly aware that Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up arrives in a dystopian future that came about through our screens, and I, for one, never saw it coming.

Inside Facebook, young data scientist Frances Haugen (Academy Award winner Mikey Madison, Anora) begins to see a disturbing truth: the world’s most powerful social network isn’t merely failing to control the damage it causes — it may be making choices that allow that damage to flourish. When Haugen meets Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White, The Bear, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere), she hopes to give him a few breadcrumbs to follow while keeping the job she loves. But as it becomes clear that more information is needed, Haugen digs deeper into the company’s internal research and practices. Together, they uncover evidence of misinformation, dangerous algorithms, preferential treatment and Instagram’s devastating effects on young users. Meanwhile, as Haugen and Horwitz race to expose what Facebook knows, CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong, Succession, The Apprentice) prepares for the congressional reckoning that awaits him.

The Social Reckoning is far more procedural than its predecessor, and it doesn’t feel as fresh or divertly entertaining, though it makes up for much of that in urgency and righteous indignation at the role that the platform, and the company running it, have played in the erosion of our society. Sorkin’s signature blend of witty, rapid-fire dialogue and vivid characters gives the material an urgency that could easily have been lost in exposition, successfully turning dense corporate documents, internal research and investigative reporting into riveting drama. 

The subject matter is quite heavy, and this is not so much a sequel to The Social Network as it is an addendum. I didn’t miss the presence of the original director, David Fincher, nearly as much as I did Jesse Eisenberg‘s captivating portrayal of Zuckerberg as a fiercely intelligent, socially awkward young narcissist. While it would have been a nice connective thread to see that character evolve into the defensive and dismissive tycoon featured here, this isn’t a story about Zuckerberg or who he became: It’s about all of us and who we became. It’s a story about commercialized addiction and its toxic effects. While big tobacco still thrives, the number of former smokers in the United States alone is roughly 56 million people. It’s easy for many of us to look at people who still smoke cigarettes and wonder how they can do so, knowing what they know as we doomscroll through Facebook and Instagram. We might even post about them, never thinking about the irony of it. 

While the film touches on the issues of cyberbullying and body image problems, Sorkin is more interested in how algorithms radicalized normal people into white supremacy, conspiracy theories and ultimately, insurrection. Donald Trump is never mentioned by name, though the film gave me a much greater understanding of how people I love dearly were gradually hooked and reeled in. It’s less a matter of them following rage bait than rage bait following them.

Madison is an extraordinarily magnetic actress, and while this isn’t the revelatory and intoxicating tour de force that Anora was, her portrayal of Haugen makes for a great protagonist, and she and White make a great pair. Strong does solid work, but he has our images of both Eisenberg’s performance and the far less three-dimensional, actual Mark Zuckerberg looming over him, and he never steps out of those shadows. Those sequences belong instead to comedian Bill Burr as Charlie Garrigan, a former Facebook investor and legal counselor who is the only one willing to look Mark in the eye and tell him that he’s seriously Zucking things up. Betty Gilpin (GLOW, Nurse Jackie) gets some big laughs as Christina, Jeff Horowitz’s boss.

The Social Reckoning isn’t anything new in terms of filmmaking, but it’s a story that doesn’t just need to be told; it’s one that needs to seriously penetrate our collective consciousness. I hope that positive word of mouth on it builds, but it’s hard to say if it will. All I know for certain is that I for one won’t be keeping an eye on what people have to say about it on social media. –Patrick Gibbs

Read more SLUG film coverage here:How Mu Zhengyang Made All Wishes Come True! – SLUG Magazine Film Review: Resident Evil – SLUG Magazine

If you enjoyed this review, consider joining our community of donors!