In 2010, The Social Network, which depicted Facebook’s founding and rise, received critical acclaim and remains popular today. Sixteen years later, Aaron Sorkin returns with its companion piece, The Social Reckoning (2026). Featuring a new cast, the film shifts focus from Mark Zuckerberg to whistleblower Facebook employee Frances Haugen and investigative reporter Jeff Horwitz, who reveal how Facebook’s growth was aided by catalysing the spread of misinformation, amplifying political polarisation, and downplaying its negative mental health effects.
Mikey Madison (Frances Haugen) and Jeremy Allen White (Jeff Horwitz) deliver impressive performances. Madison captures Haugen’s own personal reckoning with formidable complexity, conveying her conflict between the ramifications of leaking the truth and remaining silent while Facebook’s harmful algorithms cause irreparable damage. However, the nuanced figure of Zuckerberg in The Social Network has morphed into a cartoon-like, evil villain in The Social Reckoning. Jeremy Strong skillfully embodies Zuckerberg’s quirks and diction, but his portrayal lacks depth as he appears as a mere figurehead for corporate stonewalling in the name of profit.
Sorkin’s exploration of social media’s psychological effects is commendable, but the script often falls flat, with some elements feeling contrived and questionable. Haugen, as a “disguise,” wears elaborate gowns and lingerie when meeting Horwitz at his hotel. Is this fictional element necessary, or is it just so the film’s female lead can still get frames of looking glamorous? Similarly, a dinner scene in which Haugen overhears a young girl discussing cyberbullying and Instagram’s role in fuelling it feels overly explicit. Although it adds to Haugen’s resolve to push for change, it just feels on the nose.
What is most baffling at all is the film’s depiction of the January 6 United States Capitol Attack in 2021, skirting around Donald Trump’s name by referring to him as the “sitting President.” While the film’s focus is Facebook’s institutional accountability, the stigma around mentioning one of the most influential figures in using the platform to bolster hyperpartisanship is puzzling.
Five years on from the 2021 ‘Facebook Files,’ social media’s role in creating political echo chambers remains a pressing concern, and it is interesting to see if progress has been made. The UK government has announced plans to ban under-16s from major social media platforms, with enforcement targeted for spring 2027. The Social Reckoning contributes to public awareness, yet Meta, Facebook’s parent company, continues to host vast swathes of misinformation amidst concerns about regulation and accountability.
Overall, The Social Reckoning is engaging in its portrayal of attempts to hold Facebook accountable but often feels didactic. It would be intriguing to see if Sorkin will revisit Meta in the future. In 16 years, social media will likely be more pervasive, with entire generations having grown up with it. We will have to see.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash.
