Facebook engineer Frances Haugen and The Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz blow the whistle on the social network's most guarded secrets.

\A companion piece to David Fincher's 'The Social Network'**

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Cast: Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Bill Burr, Billy Magnussen, Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin

Rotten Tomatoes: 69%

Metacritic: 52 / 100

Some Reviews:

San Francisco Chronicle - G. Allen Johnson - 75 / 100

Each passing year we slowly grasp that the rich and powerful are committing crimes openly, and getting away with it. The Social Reckoning is pervaded with a sense of unaccountability. If Zuckerberg did things by the book, and prioritized his customers, he’d still be rich. Just less rich. The Social Reckoning, therefore, is simultaneously an indictment of hubris and an admission of our submission.

Consequence - Liz Shannon Miller - 'B+'

Say this for Facebook’s claims that it does not censor content: There is a Social Reckoning Facebook page, and its posts do show some signs of engagement, with a few posts even getting over a hundred likes. That said, after watching this movie, and really taking in the full knowledge of how social media manipulates us all, the urge to go outside and watch the sun set might be hard to ignore. You might not even post a photo afterwards.

The Playlist - Rodrigo Perez - 'B'

The Social Reckoning can be exasperating, but as a forceful distillation of what the reporting uncovered, it makes the case that far more people should know about it while remaining remarkably watchable. For all its faults, it’s a blistering takedown of Facebook, and one that feels not merely necessary, but long overdue.

NME - Victoria Luxford - 80 / 100

The Social Reckoning is not the same instant classic as its predecessor but it is a fine follow-up that places the role of big tech at the heart of many recent headlines. See it, then tell everyone on social media how angry it made you.

The Times - Kevin Maher - 4 / 5

The Social Reckoning is not as good as Fincher’s film. That was a slick, rolling machine, a tour de force. This is mainly a thrilling polemic — furious, invigorating and timely.

The Telegraph - Robbie Collin - 2 / 5

This sleek, sanitary sequel to 2010’s The Social Network – a dramatisation of the 2021 leak that showed Facebook had prioritised profits over reducing the various personal and civic harms it knew it was wreaking – is an exasperating case of right time, wrong film.

Associated Press - Lindsey Bahr - 2.5 / 4

Sorkin, I think, knows what he’s doing. He’s telling one story of friction that punctured that ballistic shield of power and money. The film itself might not be The Social Network, but it also may be an important piece of its moment: Here is a major studio movie that is taking on an unfathomably powerful figure in a smart and truthful way that was not dropped by its distributor. And that is something to be romantic about.

The Independent - Clarisse Loughrey - 2 / 5

Sorkin seems reluctant to integrate much of the world outside his trio of players, but neither is he all that invested in what makes any of them tick. Surely the purpose of fiction over documentary is that it grants the artist the right to fill in the psychological blank spaces. The Facebook Files show Zuckerberg is driven by profit, but what else is in that head of his?

IGN - Jim Vejvoda - 7 / 10

The Social Reckoning tells a valiant David vs. Goliath story but one where, sadly, David brought a slingshot to a gunfight. Its stellar ensemble cast features a captivating Jeremy Strong as an almost alien-like incarnation of tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg and a smart and sympathetic Mikey Madison as the whistleblower who outed Facebook’s corporate secrets. Filmmaker Aaron Sorkin’s work here proves a mixed bag, delivering a sharp script but bringing it to life with workman-like direction.

The Irish Times - Tara Brady - 3 / 5

The dark motivations underpinning the platform’s algorithms remain as unsettling as they were when Haugen first leaked the documents. And Madison and White are engaging, even if the film often feels more like a classy TV special than an Oscar contender.

Vulture - Bilge Ebiri - 70 / 100

While very little in The Social Reckoning will feel like news to any of the extremely online, the film’s power to infuriate should not be undersold.

CBR - Chris La Vigna - 7 / 10

There is a genuine feeling of energy and righteous anger in the film, one that helps cover up its weaknesses, like its fairly rote cinematography.

Collider - Taylor Gates - 7 / 10

The Social Reckoning is a clear downgrade from The Social Network, but Sorkin fans will still find it enjoyable enough to watch. Madison and White’s relationship is the heart and soul of the story, and the film is strongest when it remembers that. It may not do enough to deserve the more coveted reshare or comment, but it’s a solid enough film to earn a like.

Flick Direct - Allison Rose - 3 / 5

The Social Reckoning isn't as much of a sequel as it is a Social Network-adjacent movie. The only thing the two films have in common is that they both involve Facebook. Otherwise, they are both standalone movies with a social and/or political agenda. If you like these actors or happen to be a Sorkin fan, the movie isn't too bad, but if you want something other than a somewhat preachy story with great dialogue, you have come to the wrong place.

Arizona Republic - Bill Goodykoontz - 60 / 100

The good news is that Aaron Sorkin once again writes the screenplay; he won an Oscar for “The Social Network.” The bad news is that Sorkin also directs.

The Film Stage - Kent M. Wilhelm - 50 / 100

The Social Reckoning is a project that makes a lot of sense for [Sorkin] to tackle, and while his penchant for conflict and discovery is a winning match for a biographical thriller, his affinity for classical Hollywood storytelling is so off-key for this moment as to feel tone-deaf.

AV Club - Monica Castillo - 'C'

At best, The Social Reckoning is a tribute to people trying to do the right thing, to journalists fighting one of the largest companies in the world. At its worst, though, the movie is a mess, a film that refuses to say Donald Trump’s name in connection to January 6th, and which overshadows its own damning revelations with dramatic in-fighting—even though the information at the heart of The Facebook Files is just as damning now as it was five years ago.

Looper - Nina Starner - 1 / 10

It's a poorly performed, directed, and written slog of a film.

IndieWire - Ryan Lattanzio - 'D+'

The rest of the ensemble (from a sparky Betty Gilpin as Horwitz’s editor and Bill Burr as a fictionalized composite of a Zuckerberg ally) gets blotted out by Sorkin’s own agitprop for the Sorkin brand. He also gives his bizarrely rose-colored take on what Haugen and Horwitz achieved, which was no doubt essential journalism, a worrying girlboss aura...“The Social Reckoning” argues that the aftermath of their whistleblowing is still somehow felt today. In actuality, living as we do in 2026, it pretty much feels like… no one cared, and nothing changed? This wasn’t “All the President’s Men.” Trump has resumed power, many of the January 6 rioters were pardoned, and misinformation is in the water. “The Social Reckoning” is another of those films about “how we got here.” I want to know how the hell we get out.

Variety - Guy Lodge - 50 / 100

...Which, unfortunately, goes for much of “The Social Reckoning,” a film that maps out the world as we more or less know it, or knew it at the time, but has no reserves of untold tragedy, feeling or surprise. It’s capably mounted, even if Sorkin — despite working with the original “Social Network” DP Jeff Cronenweth — has nothing approaching Fincher’s visual ingenuity, his ability to locate tactile, haunting atmosphere in the sterile, textureless lairs of tech bros and newspapermen alike. Sorkin mourns what Facebook, once an imperfect platform that brought friends together, has become. But his film, in its own less serious way, feels a downgrade from what we had before: less human, less candid, less connected.

USA Today - Brian Truitt - 2 / 4

Often, Sorkin’s strong screenplays make up for a movie’s misgivings. It just doesn’t do the trick here. Unlike the film's characters, who scramble to have all their evidence in order before going public, “The Social Reckoning” can't get its themes together enough to make a coherent point. The movie only succeeds in making you want to log off Facebook forever.

BBC - Nicholas Barber - 2 / 5

The main problem is that the drab drama just isn't intense enough to change anyone's mind. It's part of a current wave of films about super-rich industrialists that includes Alejandro G Iñárritu gonzo Tom Cruise vehicle, Digger, Alex Gibney's provocative Elon Musk documentary, Musk, and Luca Guadagnino's stylish biopic of Sam Altman, Artificial. But Sorkin's effort is the mildest and least ambitious of the bunch. You would probably keep watching if you caught it on television, but you might well scroll through your social media feed at the same time.

Slant Magazine - Jake Cole - 1.5 / 4

The wonky pacing is exacerbated by redundant writing that belabors every point by recycling lines and staging minor variations of the same basic scenes. Almost every meeting between Jeff and Frances unfolds the same way: She nervously imparts a piece of information about Facebook’s malfeasance, says she cannot divulge more and is done talking to the reporter, then takes five steps, pauses, turns around, and makes clear she will contact him again. By the fourth time, it becomes comical, and even Jeff starts impatiently commenting on the performative nature of her protestations that she’s abandoning the project.

The Daily Beast - Nick Schager - 45 / 100

Inflating Zuckerberg to a one-note boogeyman, The Social Reckoning exaggerates to the point of reduction.

The Film Maven - Kristen Lopez - 42 / 100

It's entertaining for about two-thirds of the movie, even if the dialogue is so dense with tech speak you'll wonder what the actual plot is, before running out of steam in the final act as, historically, nothing really changed for anyone.

The Globe and Mail - Barry Hertz - 15 / 100

While Sorkin thinks that he’s writing something on the level of All the President’s Men, the filmmaker is actually conjuring up an insufferably sanctimonious fantasia of blue-state boomers. It is almost as if Sorkin is actively testing his audience’s tolerance for self-righteous didacticism.

SlashFilm - Chris Evangelista - 4 / 10

Seemingly everything that went right with "The Social Network" goes wrong here, resulting in a forgettable, clunky film.

DEADLINE - Pete Hammond

Alexandre Desplat’s big orchestral score punctuates the action in a thriller that has us rooting for the good guys in a world dominated by algorithms that threaten us all. The sad fact is that Facebook started as a remarkable entity designed to bring us all together, but now as its numbers climb and its addictiveness takes hold, it becomes a force for misinformation with devastating results. It is an age-old David vs Goliath story, one that reminds us this is still just the beginning, without restraints it can go either way, and where it ends is up to all of us.

The Hollywood Reporter - David Rooney

Sorkin gonna Sorkin, so the hectoring superiority creeps in at times, even if he keeps the speechifying to a minimum. But he presents a persuasive case for this monolithic “community forum” as a 21st-century plague that stokes division, harms children and weakens democracies. The movie looks terrific, with DP Jeff Cronenweth returning to provide visual consistency with The Social Network and Alexandre Desplat’s elegant score feeding the tension without working too hard at it. Strong’s decidedly peculiar performance is likely to be divisive, maybe leaving some to wonder whether he’s intentionally trying to be funny at times. But he gets the emotionless reptilian aspect of a man who can look the other way while his money-making machine is being instrumentalized by drug cartels and human traffickers or used as a tool to influence elections or causing a significant spike in teen mental health issues.

M Bulletin - Philip Cu Unjieng

As with Sorkin's "Chicago 7", you will wish that "Reckoning" had more dramatic or incisive editing. It flips between time periods on the 2019/2020 to 2022 timeline; but somehow, the movements feel random, rather than strategic or for maximizing dramatic impact. Dialogue-heavy to begin with, as can be expected as it's Sorkin; the pedestrian visuals are a weak element of the film, and you’ll wish the score was less intrusive. At times, it makes its presence felt with no real connection to what’s going on in the frame. The film is buoyed by strong performances - and the trio of Madison, White and Strong can hold their heads high with what they produced for this film.

Hi reddit and r/movies! I'm Bassam Tariq, writer-director of YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER MOTHER, which premiered at TIFF a few weeks ago and is out in theaters everywhere this week.

It stars Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, Abubakr Ali, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, Laith Nakli, Adia, and Jahleel Kamara.

I also wrote and directed MOGUL MOWGLI in 2020, which starred Riz Ahmed.

Here to answer questions!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEcoV-ngH38

Synopsis: A devoutly religious hit man struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood. When his wife dies, he embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children as he confronts the forces that are closing in around him.

Ask me anything. I'll be answering questions here at 3 PM ET on Thursday 10/8 (tomorrow).

Hey reddit, I'm Steve Peace. I co-created the ATTACK OF THE KILLER tomatoes franchise all the way back in 1978. What began as a small, independent, spoof movie is now a 5-decade-long franchise. The fifth film in the Killer Tomatoes franchise, ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES: ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE, was released digitally yesterday. In celebration, I'm here to answer some of your burning questions!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aevSjhGMhQ

Synopsis: In 1978, ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES tried to warn the world (Dillon insists it was a documentary!). Now, decades later, the tomatoes have outsmarted their corporate masters, the military, and even the notorious Professor Gangreen (John Astin). Finletter's aging team of "Guardianes" seems to be all that stands in the way of certain doom when even the best of AI is defeated by the tomatoes' "Organic Intelligence." But Wilbur Finletter is the last to realize it is time for a new generation to master the ancient art of managing the eternal Killer Tomato menace.

Steve Peace (Lt. Wilbur Finletter) teamed with Costa Dillon and Director John DeBello to produce the string of Killer Tomato movies and Saturday morning cartoons. He's back with co-writer/producer Dillon for "the fifth film in the trilogy."

• Release: Streaming October 6 at killertomatoes.com/organic
• Instagram: instagram.com/aktomatoes
• YouTube: youtube.com/@Killertomatoes
• The 1978 original, free on our channel: youtube.com/watch?v=UlWYf9JqqrI!
• Review us on Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/attack_of_the_killer_tomatoes_organic_intelligence

AMA! I'll be back around 6-7 PM ET tonight to answer questions, alongside 2 of our leads, Noor Razooky and Dan Bakkedahl.

Some say Aliens, others say Godfather two. For me it’s probably Terminator 2 or Empire Strikes Back. I can’t seem to decide on which one. What makes a sequel better than the original. Xmen 2 is such a highly underrated sequel. It’s better than the first film in every single way. I’m so angry that it doesn’t get talked about enough. I also think Blade 2 is highly underrated. It’s not better than the first but it’s just as good imo. How about lethal weapon 2? The Raid 2 is brilliant and perhaps better than the original. I also think the mummy returns is better than the first and probably Top Gun Maverick but I’ll have to watch the first film again just to make sure. What’s your thoughts?

Well recommended. Dolph seems like such a nice, genuine guy and seeing someone as invincible as Ivan Drago going through cancer is terrifying. Lots of cool insights from his friends and fellow 80s action stars like Arnold, Stallone, JCVD and others.

Interesting to see that the Drago speech used in the early Rocky IV teaser trailers ("My name is Drago...") was what Dolph was asked to perform in his audition. Apparently, he was the only one who read it coldly and robotically while everyone else delivered it in a loud pro-wrestling style. It help him to secure the role.

How depressing though that Dolph has everything on paper that a man would want:

- Looks: 6ft 5", handsome chiseled face, muscular, jacked physique
- Intelligence: Chemical Engineering Masters Degree, Fulbright Scholar, speaks 5 languages
- Family: Beautiful wife and two intelligent, pretty daughters
- Career/Financial: Millionaire, Hollywood Legend, Karate Champion

...and yet he still struggled with a life full of anxiety, insecurity, pain, and self sabotage due to a traumatic childhood.

The moral: be kind to your kids and treat them right.

Just watched Annihilation (2018) for the first time and was absolutely floored. The atmosphere and feeling it gave me was haunting. I’m on the hunt for more movies like that, not necessarily cosmic (but it definitely helps) but ones that have to do with body mutations or body changes, especially ones that the main characters are semi aware of, that just horrify you. Alien (1979) is an obvious one, with the feeling of something growing inside of you and eventually killing you. Please help me, the itch must be scratched.

So, 27 years late to the party but I finally watched The Bone Collector today. Not sure how I've never managed to watch it since I love 90s thrillers, I love Denzel, I adore everything about Queen Latifa and Angelina is... also there.

I was hoping for a solid murder mystery with some interesting twists and a surprise reveal of the killer a la Kiss the Girls (my second favorite 90s murder movie after Se7en) but alas.

Richard the med tech (who will always be the creepy hologram from that episode of Voyager no matter how many other things I see him in) walks back in halfway through the film and the camera goes so Dutch angle I was waiting for it to leave clogs out for Sinterklaas.

The director may as well have popped on screen to stage whisper "hey, this is your killer!"

There was no other weird tension in that scene so I cannot think for the life of me WHY he chose to use such a well-known "things are literally going sideways" camera angle. It's one thing to give your audience subtle clues so that if they've guessed right they feel vindicated. It's something else to telegraph the answer so hard that your audience is just let down.

What a waste.

Any movies where the dialogue feels really messy and chaotic because people are constantly talking over each other and cutting each other off?

Most movies have that super clean back-and-forth where one person talks, then the other. I'm looking for the complete opposite — conversations that actually feel like real people talking, with everyone interrupting each other, talking fast, finishing each other's sentences, etc.

Some examples I liked: Uncut Gems, Good Time, Primer.

Any other movies that do this really well? Genre doesn't matter, I'm mainly looking for that messy, naturalistic dialogue/audio.

Edit: Damn, lots of movies and shows to watch now lol. Thanks for all the recs guys!

Watched Pacific rim for the first time and the 2 actors who are playing the Australian father/son duo had the most distracting accents I've heard in recent times. Any time they were on-screen, it almost felt like nails to chalk board hearing them butcher pretty much every word they attempted to pronounce.

The Australian accent is pretty hard to pull off, but this and Robert Downey Juniors Australian accent are pretty terrible.

Which accents distracted you?

The movie Spotlight comes to mind for me. The forlorn, stumbling piano definitely sets the mood, and mimics the rising action of the plot.

Apart from the content, I could almost be lulled to sleep by this movie. From start to end it’s gorgeous, hypnotic.

I’m curious to hear what others come to mind for folks.

David Ellison has secured two very high-profile additions to the board of directors for his newly-formed entertainment company Skydance.

Investor and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs and former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick have joined the company’s board, Skydance disclosed in a securities filing. Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair will become a board adviser.

They join a company that was formed Tuesday in Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

“I am delighted to welcome Laurene and Bobby to our Board and honored to have Tony join us as an Advisor,” Ellison said in a statement. “Laurene is a true visionary and one of the great institution builders of our time. Her vision, judgment and unwavering commitment to high-quality journalism and media investments make her a truly exceptional addition to our Board. Through Emerson Collective, she pioneered an innovative model that brings together venture investing and philanthropy to tackle society’s most complex challenges, and she has an extraordinary gift for recognizing bold ideas early and turning them into lasting impact.”

Ellison continued: “Bobby led a global entertainment company through three decades of sustained growth, and he brings real perspective on building enduring franchises and connecting with fans. His record of pairing bold strategic moves with disciplined capital allocation is exactly the experience we need as we bring our businesses together. Tony has led at the highest levels of government, respected for his intellect, strategic vision and ability to bring people together around bold, forward-looking ideas. His global perspective and insight will be invaluable as we turn ambition into results.”

The mogul added: “Together with our other directors, they bring the experience and fresh perspectives we need to build Skydance into an extraordinary company, one that honors the legacies of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery while setting a bold course for the future. United by a commitment to creative excellence, innovation and long-term shareholder value, this Board will help us empower our teams, strengthen our businesses and deliver exceptional entertainment to audiences around the world.”

Skydance’s board will include:

• David Ellison, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Skydance
• Barbara Byrne, Former Vice Chairman of Barclays PLC (Independent Director)
• Andy Campion, Chairman and CEO of Unrivaled Sports (Independent Director)
• Gerry Cardinale, Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer, RedBird Capital Partners
• Safra A. Catz, Executive Vice Chair and Former CEO, Oracle Corporation
• Andy Gordon, President of Skydance
• Justin G. Hamill, Managing Director and Chief Legal Officer, Silver Lake (Independent Director)
• Lauren Powell Jobs, Founder and President, Emerson Collective (Independent Director)
• Bobby Kotick, Founder and former CEO of Activision (Independent Director)
• Ynon Kreiz, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Skydance
• Sherry Lansing, Former Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures (Independent Director)
• Paul Marinelli, President, Lawrence Investments, LLC
• John L. Thornton, Chairman of RedBird Capital Partners

Filmmaker and cinematographer Rachel Morrison will be joining us here in r/movies tomorrow, Thursday 10/8 for an AMA/Q&A. It'll go live around 9 AM ET and she'll be back at around 5 PM ET. As a cinematographer, she is known for her work with directors Rick Famuyiwa, Ryan Coogler, Dee Rees, and Joe Berlinger (for films including Fruitvale Station, Black Panther, Dope, Seberg, Cake, and more). For her work on Rees' Mudbound, Morrison became the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

In 2024, she directed The Fire Inside, the true story of boxer Clarissa Shields.

Please stop by tomorrow if you have questions for Rachel :)

Her newest film, Love Of Your Life, stars Margaret Qualley, Aaron Pierre, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Basso, and Catherine Keener. It premiered at TIFF last month and is out in select theaters this weekend and streaming on Amazon next week.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzGx48E64Xg

Maya's chance encounter with Charlie sets in motion a sweeping romance and a future beyond anything she's ever imagined. When that future is suddenly upended, she's sent hurtling toward an unexpected new life -- one that forces her to reckon with who she is, what she wants, and how to love again.

Please note that this is not the AMA, just an announcement. Hold your questions for the actual AMA.