Aaron Sorkin’s new film might not be as objectively great as The Social Network, says our reviewer. But the story of a ground-breaking investigation into Meta’s dodgy practises deserves to be told. And in a society that is lonelier, angrier and more disconnected than ever, it should ask hard questions of us all
Facebook has only existed for 22 years, but in the rapidly evolving world of tech, it has changed countless times.
What started as a way for university students to connect became a global phenomenon for users of every age, before it lost out to other platforms - which it then bought - and slowly changed again into a platform predominantly for ads and AI slop.
It has also been the subject of two prestige dramas written by Aaron Sorkin: The Social Network in 2010 and now The Social Reckoning. This new take on Mark Zuckerberg’s tech behemoth focuses on the journalistic work that led to the publication of the “Facebook Files”, a series of articles by The Wall Street Journal covering the ways in which Meta’s algorithms encourage extremism, impact the mental health of young girls and provide a platform for the worst kinds of illegal activities.
The film is directed as well as written by Sorkin this time; David Fincher, who previously directed the award-nominated The Social Network has not returned for the sequel. The movie is a mixed bag, and not nearly as chillingly effective as its predecessor. Part of the problem is that Sorkin can be a great writer but, when he is directing his own work, it can be both mawkish and insufferably arch. There is none of the icy detachment of Fincher and Trent Reznor’s unsettling score has been replaced by sentimental music from Alexandre Desplat.
That said, it’s entertaining enough with fine performances from Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White as the whistleblower Frances Haugen and journalist Jeff Horwitz respectively. There’s something simple and pleasing about watching the journalistic process, and it zips along at an engaging pace. It’s the kind of light drama you would gladly watch on TV on a tired Friday evening.
The love of money
There is, however, lots to provoke the Christian viewer.
Zuckerberg is played by Jeremy Strong, star of Succession and method-acting oddball. He closes down the “Civic Integrity” department because it might reduce engagement by 1%. He is a man driven entirely by value, with money forming the centre of every conversation. Morality isn’t just secondary, it is irrelevant. As the film unpacks the damage that this unleashes, you realise the wisdom once more of the biblical proverb that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).
The burning question at the heart of this film is: in the face of such amoral forces, how does the average citizen work out what is true and what’s not? Sorkin’s answer is old fashioned journalism - Jeff’s retort to the claim that “everyone deserves a voice” is that “not everyone deserves a microphone.” Those who do are trusted news sources with trained journalists and codes of ethics that they are bound to uphold.
Things online are, arguably, worse than ever
There’s some truth in this argument. Traditional journalism has taken a battering in the current culture wars, with questionable websites peddling conspiracy theories rising to the fore. The Social Reckoning suggests that the answer to this is that we all just need to get off social media. But Christians do need to dig deeper.
There are many charlatans who use social media to build their platforms, and Christians can be quick to latch onto them for guidance. Such platforms come with no accountability, no relationships and no community - only facsimiles of these things. You will always benefit more from an average sermon by a pastor who knows you than from a flashy but distant youtuber chasing influence.
There’s a provocation to churches here as well - how are you using these platforms? And, in fact, why are you using these platforms? Do they benefit the mission of your church to build the Kingdom of God in your neighbourhood or region? If not, how much do you realistically need to engage with Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok?
A personal reckoning
The Social Reckoning ends on a curious note of optimism, and Sorkin once again demonstrating why he was perhaps not the best director for this job. Congress hears about the evils of Facebook, Frances gets her moment of triumph and Sorkin expresses some kind of hope about America in the process. A different director might have captured the truth more aptly: Meta is still a gigantic tech corporation, Zuckerberg faced no real consequences, and misinformation is more potent than ever in the era of AI.
The company are now trying to hawk Ray Bans that allow you to covertly film people, a technology that has rapidly become known as “pervert glasses”. The president who lied about winning the election and encouraged the violent storming of the capitol on the basis of those lies was, of course, re-elected - in part because of the misinformation machines of Facebook and other social media websites. Things online are, arguably, worse than ever.
How much do you realistically need to engage with Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok?
The job is not done, and Christians need their own reckoning with social media, fast. If you get your “discipleship” from people without accountability online who are chasing views and engagement, seek out your local church instead. It won’t be perfect, but you will at least be known. If you want to hit ‘share’ on something that outrages you, pause and check the source of it, why someone posted it in the first place, and why you want to share it. And if your time online is making you an angrier person, the tech giants are winning, so maybe you do need to log off.
The Social Reckoning is far from a perfect film; it is pacy, well performed and entertaining, but also too smug and too sentimental. What it does effectively, however, is remind us that social media is not neutral, and when we allow it to set the parameters of what we consume, we risk being fed lies. This is true in online Christian spheres as well as secular ones, where the name of Christ is being hijacked for causes that would make Jesus flip tables, all so people can build an audience and tech companies can keep you online.
If you needed another wake-up call to spend more time offline, let this film do that for you.
The Social Reckoning is in UK cinemas now
No comments yet