Title: The Social Reckoning
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Mikey Madison, Jeremy Strong and others
Where: In theatres near you
Rating: 3 stars
Over the last 50 years or so, Hollywood has given us some pretty solid films on investigative reporting in newspapers. Some of those gems include All The President’s Men (1976), Spotlight (2015), The Post (2017), She Said (2022) and The Paper (1994). Does The Social Reckoning get to join this esteemed list? Read on to find out.
Based on how Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Jeff Horwitz teamed up with a Facebook employee Frances Haugen for a series of expose reports called The Facebook Files, the film raises some poignant and monumental questions around the impact of social media and freedom of speech.
Directon
Aaron Sorkin, who had written David Fincher’s epic directorial The Social Network (2010), has written and directed The Social Reckoning. Of course, one can’t help but draw minute comparisons between the two films even though they are based on completly different stories and timelines with the only connecting factor being Facebook.
Unfortunately, Sorkin fails to deliver the magic of Fincher. The Social Reckoning feels icy cold… it had all the ingrediants of a blockbuster but one wishes Fincher had helmed this one too. There are times when Sorkin’s direction shines, especially in parts where he shows in inner workings of a newspaper but that all there is to it.
Actors performances
Where the film does shine (and has earned an extra star) is its lead performances.
Mikey Madison (as whistleblower Frances Haugen) and Jeremy Allen White (as investigative reporter Jeff Horwitz) give seeti maar performances. Their banter with one another and (might I add very carefully) crackling chemistry are a delight to watch. Everyone is going to missJesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg. The actor had done such a fantastic job in The Social Network, it is a pity he didn’t return for this film. Jeremy Strong who has replaced him is extremely wooden and robotic. Perhaps the makers intended to show Zuckerberg as a mashup between a robot and alien.
Special mention to Bill Burr (as Charlie Garrigan). He is phenomenal as the voice of reason amidst Zuckerberg’s “yes boss” team!
Betty Gilpin as the fiesty editor
Christina shines in a brief role. Her back and forth with Jeff are excellent.
The rest of the cast is decent.
Music and aesthetics
Surprisingky, Sorkin opted for Alexandre Desplat instead of his regular music director Daniel Pemberton. The music does nothing much to bring life to the film. The cinematography by Jeffrey Cronenweth is apt for the tone of the film.
The newspaper office is depicted well. However, it is the Facebook office and especially the scenes where Zuckerberg is rehearsing for (some speech with his PR team) that disappoint.
The editing by Alan Baumgarten is haphazard.
Costumes and make up are mercifully top notch. Each character has been given a distinct look and that was a joy to see. The journalists look like journalists and the Facebook employees look their part.
FPJ verdict
As mentioned earlier, this film had a lot going for it, but its flat tone fails to create the tension that would have elevated it to the next kevel. It is however a one-time watch thanks to its performances and a courageous real life story that shook the foundations of a (then) trillion dollar company and began a conversation about the impact social media has on the lives of billions across the globe.
