The Social Reckoning Questions Origins of Fact Based Digital Media

The Warner Brothers Paramount merger valued roughly at 110 billion dollars was approved forging the way for billionaires to control the news and entertainment narratives in America. Led by chairman/CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, the former Mattel chief as of Oct. 5,  under its new studio name of Skydance, the studio has acquired the HBO Max and Paramount+ streaming services and TV businesses including CBS, CNN, MTV, TBS, Comedy Central, Food Network and more.  Its entertainment franchises will span across Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, “Game of Thrones,” other HBO hits, the DC Universe, “Yellowstone,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Top Gun” and the Nickelodeon kids’ empire.  Are the tech giants next and what does that mean for the ability to control the landscape via social media and how did we get here?

Two decades after Facebook’s founding, the transformative social media platform is now twice as big as any country, employing an algorithm that influences both personal lives and world governments daily. This new reality, one we’re all living in the middle of, informs the high-stakes backdrop of Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning. The whistleblower thriller is a tale of trust unfolding between Frances Haugen and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz into a web of hidden documents, corporate image-making and moral conflict. Pushing each other to their limits, the duo risks everything in a landmark investigation soon to be known as “The Facebook Files,” and this is where the Social Reckoning begins. But at the heart of this film lies a core question of our times: what happens when society’s most precious commodity becomes human attention itself and again…how did we get here?

“The Social Network (2010) was about how Facebook was invented. The Social Reckoning is about what social media has become,” Sorkin says.
Sorkin notes that “in 2010, Facebook had 500 million members, which was unprecedented. But today, Facebook has 2.9 billion members and over two-thirds of Americans now get their news from Facebook (now rebranded as Meta, which also maintains control over Instagram, Whats App, Threads and Messenger). The problem is that much of what Facebook sends out into the water supply is simply wrong. Facebook is gushing out mass misinformation, things that outrage and anger you, so that you will keep resharing. This is precisely how we got to January 6th and the attack on the Capitol.  Misinformation, exaggerated details and extreme forced narratives now couple with the threat of AI looming is more than cause for concern.

Right on the heels of her Academy award-winning role in Anora, Mikey Madison’s portrayal of Haugen is nuanced, intense and riveting as are every scene she and White share together.  The chemistry is fire and very reminiscent of a young Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in “The Pelican Brief,”  The manner in which they spit out Sorkin’s lightning speed dialogue is impressive and assists in driving a narrative that is fascinating.

Many will wonder why Jesse Eisenberg didn’t reprise his role as Zuckerberg for this iteration of the Facebook saga. Understandably, the career choice was to move on to other types of characters.  However, Jeremy Strong picks up the mantle with gusto and encapsulates the energy, stoicism and sometimes volatile nature of Zuckerberg in his corporate bubble.  Wunmi Mosaku, who earned an Academy Award nomination in “Sinners” continues  bringing a  strong women of color to the forefront and her portrayal of Raya is no exception. “Raya is someone who regularly works with monarchies and world leaders. Essentially, Raya has drunk the Kool-Aid and chosen to go down this path she didn’t initially believe in,” reflects Mosaku. “To do that, she has to make Mark more likeable, to humanize him, to show he cares about more than corporate profits.” Does she succeed?  You’ll have to check out the film to find out.

The Social Reckoning is an intense cinematic reminder to not take information at face value.  Do your due diligence to fact check every morsel that falls into your lap. Aaron Sorkin soars at political thrillers and dropping this gem of a film couldn’t have been at a better time in American history.  Computers are machines with intelligence not built to last, but the onslaught of AI and social media into our internet infrastructure has shifted ideals for better and for worse.  It’s up to us as to what side of history we intend to side with – technology or the humans that created it.