Frens, let me tell you something. As someone who has been a victim of Facebook’s diabolical evil works for years, watching The Social Reckoning validated my disdain for the platform and made it even stronger.
And just when I thought I couldn’t dislike Facebook any more than I already do, here comes Aaron Sorkin with a whole movie reminding me why I feel the way I do.
The Social Reckoning is inspired by the true story of the Facebook whistleblower scandal that exposed some of the company’s most closely guarded secrets.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the film is a companion piece to The Social Network, but this time around, we’re getting a look at what was going on behind the scenes at Facebook and the people who decided enough was enough.
What Is The Social Reckoning About?
The film follows Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a Facebook engineer who discovers some very disturbing information about the platform and decides she’s not going to sit back and keep quiet about it.
She teams up with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) to expose thousands of internal documents revealing what Facebook knew about the harm its platforms were causing.
We’re talking algorithms that fuel outrage, spread misinformation, contribute to political division, and negatively impact the mental health of teenage girls.
And while all of this is going on, Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong) is running one of the biggest social media companies in the world.
My Review Of The Social Reckoning
I’m going to tell you right now, The Social Reckoning felt like Social Media 101.
And if you’re not familiar with the technical side of social media platforms, you may feel a tad overwhelmed because they throw A LOT of information at you.
Algorithms, internal documents, research, corporate decisions, and everything else that goes on behind the scenes.
It’s a lot to process.
Thankfully, Aaron Sorkin was mindful enough in his writing to break certain things down so that you can understand what’s happening without getting completely lost in all the information.
But what really kept me invested in this film was the cast.
Mikey Madison Was The Best Gift This Film Had To Offer
Mikey Madison was the best gift The Social Reckoning had to offer.
Her performance was so wonderful and endearing that she immediately pulled me into the story, and before I knew it, I was involuntarily rooting for Frances.
I was invested in what she was doing, worried about what could happen to her, and hoping she would succeed in exposing what was going on at Facebook.
Mikey made me care about Frances and what she was risking to get the truth out.
And I thoroughly enjoyed watching her do it.
Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, And Wunmi Mosaku
Jeremy Allen White always understands the assignment.
His performance as Jeff Horwitz was so honest that I was fully invested in watching him do the Lord’s work of exposing the dirty deeds of one of the biggest social media platforms to ever exist.
Now, let’s talk about Jeremy Strong.
Because if I were Mark Zuckerberg, Jeremy would have to give me five minutes in a dark alley for that spot-on portrayal.
I’m talking about everything from his mannerisms to the way he carried himself.
Jeremy did his homework, and it showed.
And Wunmi Mosaku?
I would talk about her performance, but I was too busy staring at her gorgeous face and perfectly melanated skin.
Kidding!
She was fantastic, but I didn’t expect anything less.
The Social Reckoning Confirmed What I Already Felt About Facebook
The biggest message this film drove home for me is just how dangerous Facebook has become, by design.
And that’s a scary thought when you consider how many people use the platform every single day.
One of the most disturbing things about The Social Reckoning is learning how much Facebook allegedly knew about the harm its platforms were causing and how those concerns were handled behind closed doors.
And when you start getting into the algorithms and how certain content is pushed to users, you realize there’s a whole lot more going on than simply scrolling through your timeline and minding your business.
The outrage, the division, the misinformation, and the content that keeps people arguing in comment sections for hours.
There’s a reason certain things keep showing up on your timeline.
And if you don’t tread carefully through the streets of that platform, you will fall into one of the many booby traps set for users.
I’ve dealt with enough foolishness from Facebook over the years to know that something about the platform just ain’t right.
And watching this movie only made me feel stronger about it.
Is The Social Reckoning Worth Watching?
Absolutely!
I enjoyed The Social Reckoning, especially the performances from Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, and Wunmi Mosaku.
My only real issue is that the film throws so much technical information at you that it can become a little overwhelming.
But I appreciated learning more about what was happening behind the scenes and how Frances Haugen and Jeff Horwitz worked to bring that information to the public.
What really bothers me is that so much of this information has been out there for years, and yet here we are, still scrolling, posting, sharing, and trying to figure out why these platforms operate the way they do.
And I’m including myself in that conversation because, despite my issues with Facebook, it’s still part of what I do for a living.
Now, ain’t that something?
The Social Reckoning is now playing in theaters, and I definitely recommend checking it out.
Have you seen the film? And if so, did it change the way you look at Facebook? Let’s talk about it!
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