Early Reactions to Sorkin’s Facebook Film Are Mixed

The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin’s film about Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and the 2021 disclosure of company documents, is scheduled to open in theaters on October 9. Early reactions to press screenings have praised Jeremy Strong’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg, while one critic faulted the film’s pacing and direction. The film follows Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, played by Jeremy Allen White, as they investigate the documents. It is a companion to Sorkin’s 2010 film The Social Network, rather than a direct continuation of that story. Sorkin has described it as a follow-up, with a familiar character linking the two films. Sorkin, who wrote and directed The Social Reckoning, has said Haugen’s story drew him back to Facebook. The film places Zuckerberg in a supporting role, with Strong taking over the part from Jesse Eisenberg, who played him in The Social Network. Sorkin said he tried to persuade Eisenberg to return, but the actor declined because he did not want to remain associated with the character.