The Social Reckoning Review

The Social Reckoning is the spiritual sequel to 2010’s The Social Network. The sequel looks at how Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg not only knew about the social harm the platform has caused but actively encouraged it.

Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allan White) is an investigative journalist who takes up a tech reporting job in the Wall Street Journal’s San Francesco office in 2019. Part of the job is reporting on Facebook, and he probes for sources. Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) is a data scientist working in Facebook’s Civil Integrity Team who’s trying to raise concerns about Facebook being used to radicalise users. When no one listens, Frances goes to Horwitz and the pair slowly build one of the most damaging stories against the tech giant.

The Social Network was an incredible film. It had a perfect mix of direction, writing, and acting, as it portrayed Mark Zuckerberg as an arrogant prick who screwed over everyone possible as Facebook grew from a niche university website to the king of social media. It was one of the first pieces of pop culture that portrayed Zuckerberg in a negative light. Facebook was the cool social media platform that allowed people to stay in touch, post photos, and share fun stuff. Now it’s seen as the unfashionable social media platform for older people and has become a pipeline for radicalisation. The stereotype now is that Facebook users are mad Gen X and Boomers who share MAGA and anti-vax material. Facebook/Meta have faced numerous controversies, from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the rise of fake news, and recently settling a lawsuit for $18 billion and being forced to change their practices for young people.

The Social Reckoning was a different beast from The Social Network. The Social Network was a character study about what drove a thin-skinned egoist. The Social Reckoning was a drama about journalism, closer to All the President’s Men, Spotlight, and She Said. Characters even name-check famous pieces of reporting, such as the exposure of the Watergate scandal and the release of the Pentagon Papers. Mark Zuckerberg, now played by Jeremy Strong, was on the edge of the film and was portrayed more like how the public perceives him: a cold robot who struggles to sound human, has no sense of decency and doesn’t care about human suffering as long as he can maximise profits. Zuckerberg was more of an omnipresent figure in The Social Reckoning, detracted from the world, although still had a sense of bitterness.

The Social Reckoning was about Horwitz earning Haugen’s trust and slowly building a damning story. It was a slow and meticulous process, much to Haugen’s annoyance. One of the big themes of The Social Reckoning was the clash between traditional media and new media. Traditional media may not be glamorous compared to new media, but did a vital role in holding truth to power, and an institution like the Wall Street Journal has integrity, respect, and quality. Their work may be slow work, but it carried weight, compared to social media companies where any nonsense could be posted.

On the other side, Zuckerberg claimed to be a ‘free speech absolutist’ and that Facebook gives everyone a voice, but he was just trying to absolve himself of responsibility. Not only did Zuckerberg and Facebook turn a blind eye to the unsavoury comments on their platform, but they also actively encouraged it because they made money from the engagement. Anyone who has been in social media knows it can be a cesspool where it is trying to get angry. At the time of writing, Ukraine has destroyed several data centres in Russia, and there’s a notable decline in outrage afterwards, at least for a short period. The term ‘free speech absolutist’ automatically brings up thoughts of Elon Musk, who has used Twitter to elevate far-right, alt-right, and white supremacist accounts, but bans anyone who dares be critical.

The critical reaction to The Social Reckoning has been mixed. It hasn’t performed as well as its predecessor. However, I did study politics and the media during my first year at university, and The Social Reckoning covered a subject matter I had some knowledge of, admittedly knowledge from a long time ago. I geeked out because of the debates about the role of the press and social media in society and showed Facebook’s detrimental role in politics and public discourse.

Aaron Sorkin took on the directing duties as well as writing the screenplay. The Social Reckoning was closer to work on The West Wing. Both were restricted projects about people in the corridors of power but have an impact on the wider world. Like The West Wing, there was a lot of witty dialogue amidst all the debating and investigating. A certain event in early 2021 was treated with a lot of weight, with slow motion and dramatic music. Whilst Sorkin is a great writer, The Social Reckoning is not a piece of work due to the characters being less defined. Mickey Madison was the stand-out because her character was a shy introvert who took a bold step to speak out: it was a tough journey, both personally and professionally, for her.

The drawback of making The Social Reckoning more like The West Wing was the tone. The film wanted to be hopeful but came across as naïve because it had faith in America’s traditional institutions when they have clearly failed. We live in a world where a lot of our media is now controlled by thin-skinned sociopaths who use their influence for their own interest, not the public interest. This goes in the opposite direction of its counterparts, which are even more critical. Alex Gilbey’s documentary about Elon Musk and the biopic about Sam Altman will be released soon, and they’ve already ruffled feathers, whilst films like Mickey 17, Superman (2025), and Digger have mocked the oligarchy. The Social Reckoning needed an angrier spirit considering the damage Zuckerberg has done and suffered few repercussions. At the time of writing, it has been reported that Zuckerberg led the way in the tech industry’s ‘self-regulation’ of AI and continued to invade everyone’s privacy with Meta smart glasses.

The Social Reckoning was a downgrade to The Social Network, but it was able to explore some major issues, past and present. It was a shame that it was so tame.