I’m usually not happy about actors being replaced in sequels, but Jeremy Strong certainly isn’t a bad option to fill a role.
Unlike the 2010 movie “The Social Network” which featured Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, “Reckoning” stars Strong in the role. However, the billionaire isn’t as much of a focus this time. Instead, the movie centers on Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White), a Wall Street Journal reporter investigating the social media company.
As he begins researching, he connects with Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a Facebook employee who takes issue with how the business is conducting itself, particularly with building an algorithm that drives negative engagement, which can lead to radicalization. As this is taking place, Zuckerberg is preparing to appear before Congress regarding Facebook’s operation.
Aaron Sorkin, who penned the 2010 film by director David Fincher, once again took on writing duties for “The Social Reckoning” and this time handled directing, too. It’s Sorkin’s fourth directorial effort, following 2021’s “Being the Ricardos,” and features plenty of his hallmarks, for better and for worse.
On the positive side, Sorkin knows how to create tension and intrigue, delivering it with plenty of wit and substance, especially in the realms of journalism and politics. His latest film has both, and it’s a place where his work shines, particularly in the reporting sphere.
While “The Social Reckoning” isn’t only focused on investigative reporting, it plays a major role, and it’s also the film’s biggest strength. Watching Horwitz dig in on the situation with Facebook while working alongside Frances in the process hooks a viewer in and keeps them engaged for most of the movie.
Journalism procedural pictures naturally pique a viewer’s interest, as they often involve taking on powerful systems, an investigation with twists and turns, along with a fast pace as the protagonists work on a deadline. It’s a good advantage to have. The question is how well can the material be elevated to be fully captivating.
To his credit, Sorkin does make several scenes related to the reporting, and Frances’ hesitancy to take on a major company by being a source, rather compelling. There’s a dramatic weight felt by the audience as the story builds and the time to publish nears, with the movie showing more of the impacts from Facebook’s actions that need exposure.
Where the movie is less effective is everything happening away from the reporting effort. As mentioned earlier, there are two stories underway in “Reckoning,” with the other centered on Zuckerberg preparing for a hearing by speaking with his PR team. This is largely captured through the billionaire’s conversations with former Facebook investor Charlie Garrigan (Bill Burr).
Sorkin is clearly using these sequences to take jabs at Zuckerberg’s worldview and corporate strategy, with Garrigan as the vessel to do so. However, while the points brought up in these scenes are valid, they often feel too stagey and inauthentic. It’s a shame because Strong is such a talented actor and isn’t bad as the business owner, but the scenes regularly fail to resonate like they should.
Another one of Sorkin’s weaknesses comes up a few times, especially in the final act. There are moments where Sorkin has a tendency to have his films feel too clean and neat in terms of how things wrap up, all while adding extra layers of sentiment or sanitization. It happened with “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and it happens again here.
This isn’t always a problem. In fact, it was one of the strengths of Sorkin’s show “The West Wing.” However, that was very different in tone compared to the story told here. It ultimately makes for a clash between tone and real-world outcomes.
That’s particularly true because as we all know, things have only gotten worse when it comes to social media and the impact on politics. Plus, Zuckerberg is certainly not the only culprit when it comes to this. So, the central focus of him feels almost inadequate.
There’s also the overall feel of Sorkin’s direction, which is OK, but lacks the vision and artistry for a fully encompassing experience. Previous movies featuring Sorkin’s work, “Social Network” and “Steve Jobs,” had some flair in the way they were crafted, with the editing, camerawork, framing and visual identity all under the command of directors like David Fincher and Danny Boyle, both of whom have distinct styles.
It’s something that’s been more lacking with Sorkin’s work, which feel a bit flatter. Again, this becomes more noticeable during the scenes centering on Zuckerberg which can feel somewhat empty despite the movie’s hard commentary push.
That’s not to say the movie is without any interesting cinematic storytelling. There are a few moments that are well shot and put a viewer on edge. One notable example are a few dramatized flashback scenes of Zuckerberg giving orders that are shown in black and white. They have a sort of Oliver Stone vibe, reminiscent of scenes with figures scheming in “JFK.” It adds to the whistleblower, truth to power aspects of the picture.
The acting from the two leads is also quite good. Academy Award winner Mikey Madison is impressive. Frances is a woman who’s reluctant not only because she’s risking her career by going up against a mega corporation, but also since she genuinely believes there are positive aspects to social media that should be protected through regulation, and that’s shows here.
Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Jeremy Allen White is likewise really good as the dedicated reporter. Journalists in movies are often a mix of passionate to tell the truth while also rather cynical about the state of the world, and Horwitz is very much like that, while still having a sense of humor. White gets that across nicely.
The strong performances by a trio of award-winning actors, combined with solid moments of dialogue powering an interesting reporting investigation make “The Social Reckoning” a solid dramatic watch. However, it falls short of its predecessor and others in the genre with some tonal issues, a less than memorable cinematic identity and a sense that there was some meat left on the bone that Sorkin failed to bite into. 3.75 out of 5.
Photo courtesy Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures and Alcon Entertainment
