The first reactions to “The Social Reckoning” are in, and they’re all over the wall.
Select audiences saw Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to “The Social Network,” with social media reactions emerging just days before its Oct. 9 release. While many early viewers praised Sorkin’s screenplay and the film’s lead performances, several noted that it lives in the shadow of its 2010 Oscar-winning predecessor.
“Thankfully, the film doesn’t simply recycle what worked in the far superior 2010 film (Alexandre Desplat’s score is entirely original), allowing it to stand on its own. That doesn’t mean the comparisons will stop but the far greater problem is that what’s here is neither particularly interesting nor revelatory,” wrote Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture on X. “The performances range from fine to mediocre, while the material feels like it’s arriving five years too late. An eye-rolling film with good intentions but will probably not receive many likes or re-shares.”
“I actually liked ‘The Social Reckoning,’ but that’s because Aaron Sorkin knows that filmmaking is ALL about the script and the cast, and he’s tackling a topic that’s just as interesting as the origins of Facebook,” said film critic Edward Douglas on X. “Maybe it’s no ‘The Social Network,’ but it’s still very good.”
Sorkin is one of the only elements to carry over from the 2010 film helmed by David Fincher, which starred Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in the early days of Facebook. This time, Sorkin took the director’s chair himself, with Jeremy Strong stepping in as Zuck in a story about Facebook’s whistleblowing scandal and its role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“Cinematically engineered for dads that watch movies while standing,” said @imPatrickT on X. “Very 2000s TV feeling (complimentary) and Strong is nuts as Zuckerberg with limited screen time. The matinee coffee instead of a popcorn crowd will LOVE this one.”
Some viewers were less reserved in their affection, saying the film stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessor.
“#TheSocialReckoning sits on the same pedestal as ‘The Social Network’ for me & here’s an add-on to that already massively hot take: this one matters more!” said film critic Manuel São Bento on X.
Joining Strong in the cast are Mikey Madison as Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and Jeremy Allen White as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz. Bill Burr and Wunmi Mosaku co-star as members of Zuckerberg’s legal counsel.
You can see more reactions to “The Social Reckoning” below.
“The Social Reckoning” releases in theaters on Friday, Oct. 9.
