The Social Reckoning

 

Score:  C+

Directed by Aaron Sorkin

Starring Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong

Running time: 112 minutes

Rated R

Long Story Short:  The Social Reckoning is an echo of the classic drama of tech's formative years, The Social Network, both in its long delay (16 years) and diminished results.  Jeremy Strong does provide a great performance as the fully Vader-ized version of Zuckerberg, but the two "heroes", whistleblower Haugen (Madison) and journalist (White), fall flat.  The script lacks Sorkin's trademark sizzle and depth and it presents social media as a problem now solved.  Really?

The Social Reckoning is an awards-aspiring drama about contemporary issues but it largely fails on both counts, with only glimpses of what the movie could have been.  A sort-of sequel to 2010's (far better) The Social Network, this movie shows Facebook at the height of its power, a ubiquitous social media presence and a CEO (Strong's Zuckerberg) who now has formidable wealth and influence.  Determined to find out just why it had become so popular - and at the same time seemed to inflame cultural divisions - Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (White) seeks the help of a conflicted Facebook employee, Frances Haugen (Madison).  The movie takes on this investigative journalism structure, similar to titles like Spotlight, but this is also its central weakness: it just doesn't do it well.  Partly that may be because the audience is (or should be) very familiar with Facebook/Meta's machinations by now.  But even more so, the movie lazily falls into a pattern of Haugen feeling twangs of guilt and then meeting with Horwitz to provide a little more insider data.  Their conversations are all more or less the same, the stats and ominous "does that mean...?!?" blurring together and failing to create much if any intrigue.  

Another problem is that Sorkin, a legendary screenwriter, seems to have lost his fastball (or just couldn't find it).  There are certainly a few clever lines here and there but nothing that comes close to his masterful work in Steve Jobs, Molly's Game or many others including The Social Network.  Strong does play Zuckerberg very well here, stoic and expressionless but in a way that you understand is caused by his sense of utter control over not just his underlings but much of the world.  Perhaps the best scene is Haugen's team's presentation to Zuckerberg about how reducing FB's user engagement just 1% could significantly decrease abuse and disinformation.  Zuckerberg repeatedly tells them to skip to the conclusion before dismissing them immediately after hearing about the 1% reduction.  Unfortunately, the "good guys" aren't as compelling, through either the script or their performances.  I must admit that I found Madison to be stunningly gorgeous here but she simply wasn't a good fit for the role; White makes for a more believable journalist but it's just generic stuff we're seeing.

It's also important, I think, to address the contemporary issues the movie is about and sadly, this is another failure.  We do need, as a society, to confront the fact that Meta/Facebook - and plenty of other tech companies - do everything possible to maximize the amount of time their users spend on their products, including amplifying the worst content (hate and disinformation).  The movie devotes most of its time to "figuring this out" (again, I think most of us were already pretty well aware) and then, bafflingly, presents the publication of these findings and Haugen's Congressional testimony as victory.  Sure, it's good that those things happened, but how has our situation actually improved since then?  Just before the credits, the movie itself admits that Meta does zero content moderation now (as opposed to just doing a poor job of it) and that 43% of American adults get their news from Facebook.  Ummm, and why are we supposed to feel good about this?  The most appropriate final shot of the movie would have been Zuckerberg sitting perfectly still in his chair, staring straight ahead, then giving a tiny shrug.  

On top of this, the movie makes Facebook the one and only villain.  Yes, its practices have undeniably made possible our current situation.  The key here is made possible.  I have some sympathy for Zuckerberg saying "we are the public square... we don't produce any of the content".  It is OUR fault - the public - for being lazy and content in accepting all we see or, in so many cases, actively hateful and/or diabolical in creating or sharing disinformation (for commercial and/or ideological reasons).  Facebook and related tools do provide significant benefits and are appropriately used by many - perhaps even most - people.  Can we focus on, or at least illuminate, the idiots who misuse it?

---

Similar to Digger, I knew I wanted to see The Social Reckoning as soon as I heard about it.  Rather than Tom Cruise's sharp stylistic turn in a film by a top director, the appeal here was being the follow-up to one of the best movies of the century and helmed by one of the best writers.  Released just one week apart from each other, the movies highlight some of the biggest problems in today's world (climate change and disinformation, respectively).  However, the execution of those themes - and their quality as films overall - could hardly be more different.  Digger is a highly creative, engrossing (if not always pleasant) movie that speaks very eloquently to the politics of climate change.  Whereas The Social Reckoning is a dull, by-the-numbers investigative movie (when we already know the results) that assigns all blame to Facebook and victory to us when the reality is far different, or at least much more complex.  I was extremely disappointed (to say the least) that critics were so blind and cruel to Digger and that the public also shunned it.  Well, at least The Social Reckoning got a similar - and far more deserved - reception.  The point is, of course, you should see Digger as soon as possible, whether in the theater or via streaming, and ignore The Social Reckoning.  I'm not sure what is coming next for me at the movie theater - the calendar looks bleak for awhile - but I hope to return soon!

* By source, Columbia Pictures - https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/the-social-reckoning-81643, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84200111

Digger

 

Score:  A

Directed by Alejandro Inarritu

Starring Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, et al

Running time: 129 minutes

Rated R

Long Story Short:  Digger teams acclaimed director Inarritu (Birdman, The Revenant) with megastar Cruise to present a creative fable that illustrates the all-too-real climate crisis in searing and fantastic images.  Cruise puts aside stuntwork here but his larger-than-life persona is perfectly used in the satire of an oil tycoon confronting the consequences of his success.  This is both an extremely important film for its thoughtful climate messages, as well as a truly unique film that offers sublime artistic rewards; "entertaining" might be a stretch, but you'll be glad you saw it. (And please take its message to heart!!!)

Digger is both an essential social commentary and a well-made, engrossing satire, offering audiences a rare, rich one-two punch of lasting value.  The main theme is the foreboding threat of climate change, one entirely of mankind's own making and from which world "leaders" fail to protect the rest of us.  That is probably why I connected with the movie so strongly, since I am very passionate about the issue and the movie both faithfully and honestly addresses the real crisis along with creating a fantastic artistic framework for it.  Digger (Cruise) is an oil magnate heir who confidently extracts the source of his wealth from anywhere he pleases on the planet, thanks to the support of his close ally, the U.S. President Compson (Goodman).  In ignoring the various threats created by his indiscriminate drilling, Digger triggers a global catastrophe early in the film; but rather than atone for their crimes, the two hatch a plan to further entrench their power.  The tone of satire is established immediately, as Digger dotes on his grotesque (and obviously fake) ancient pet cat.  It is nauseating but also quite funny, a duality that continues throughout the movie.  The sets themselves are artistically designed, a little reminiscent of a Wes Anderson movie in its artificiality (although mostly darker and grittier than Wes's, as appropriate to the movie's theme); it helps more fully establish the satirical tone and adjust your mindset to the appropriate wavelength.  The exquisite dialogue follows the same pattern, a somewhat eccentric version of normal speech that still gets the point across (even if it's a bit too quick for me to follow at times).  Cruise, fresh off completing the extraordinary Mission Impossible series, dives back into drama here without a hitch.  He is magnetic, just the singularly powerful presence needed for Digger.  He goes from a carefree, Southern good old boy with a twang accent to quiet, still, yet menacing and holds it all in one surprisingly believable character.  The supporting cast is also superb, particularly scientific advisor Ganesh (Ahmed), President Compson (Goodman), and VP Eddie (Stuhlbarg).

Climate change is front and center as the main theme of the movie, yet it's also expertly folded into the drama so that it's tastefully yet effectively portrayed.  Digger is certainly a main villain in this but he is far from the only one who receives justified blame.  Following the initial disaster, Ganesh the scientist and Digger take turns addressing the world (Digger's speech, thanks to Cruise's excellent performance and intricate filming technique, is the movie's showcase scene and it's spellbinding).  Ganesh rightfully castigates Digger and his peers for hiding their industry's damage from the public for decades and suppressing any efforts to address it.  Digger doesn't challenge this, instead turning the finger back at the world's insatiable appetite for more and more; he was the mere supplier for that demand.  Digger gets a certain comeuppance by the end, but the movie's greater message is to all of us: first of all pay attention to this issue, then elect leaders who will do something about it, and, yes, consider the role of our own striving (and at times, greed) for more and more material comfort.  The last shot of the movie is a chilling one:  citizens going about their day in a soot-darkened city, its streets flooded and sidewalks patrolled by both human and robot police.  We can hopefully avoid that fate, but not if we keep on the oblivious, indifferent road we're on right now.

Finally, and **SPOILER** there is a twist near the end of the movie.  It won't ruin the movie if you read about this beforehand but just want to warn you.  There are a handful of scenes early in the movie that seem to be abrupt detours from the story and style of the movie.  Some may figure this out sooner than I did, but it's eventually revealed that the main story is in fact a staged theater re-enactment of historical events, acted by Curtis (Cruise) and the rest of the cast.  All the events are based on "true" (in this movie) events but adjusted to maximize both humor and anger at the principals.  The play - titled Fossil Fools - has become a cult classic, and Digger's nephew is the producer who hopes to give the public, which now suffers in a world significantly degraded by climate change, an outlet for their despair.

***

Digger is a movie I've looked forward to for some time, as it looked different yet mysterious and seemed to feature Cruise in an odd role.  I'm quite pleased that it turned out to be such a triumph, not only artistically but also how effective it is in highlighting the danger of climate change and how not just certain individuals but the world overall is failing to address it.  I am shocked and appalled that the movie both bombed at the box office and has a miserable 53% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes.  The response needed - and deserved - to be the complete opposite: this should be required viewing for all American adults (perhaps all adults around the world, but the rest of the world seems to already have a better grasp of climate change than us and are doing a little more about it) and its high quality praised by critics.  As usual, I intentionally have not read any reviews of the movie before writing my own, and I'm now curious to see what they all got wrong about it.  I urge you in the strongest terms possible: ignore the critics and lack of popular reception to Digger and go see it, preferably in a theater.

* By source, Warner Bros. Entertainment - http://www.impawards.com/2026/digger_ver5.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81871297