The internet’s not written in pencil, it’s written in ink – and if “The Social Reckoning” turns out to be a great movie, some of these people are going to have some deleting to do.
“The Social Network” writer Aaron Sorkin’s sequel – he’s also directing this time instead of David Fincher – picks up all these years later, when an older, wise-guy-er Mark Zuckerberg’s company is facing major legal woes from a whistleblower’s reveal that top Meta brass knew their products were hurting people.
“I’m a professional defendant,” Strong’s extra-flinty Zuckerberg says when asked during a mock trial to state his occupation, a high point of the trailer released just this Wednesday morning.
Unlike Jesse Eisenberg, who played Zuckerberg essentially as a version of himself, Strong is doing more of an impression, which TheWrap called “uncanny” [and we agree].
But apparently people on the internet have different opinions?
Critics of the trailer ragged on everything from the over-wrought writing to Strong’s interpretation and points between. One commenter summed it up thus: “This is going to be so bad.”
It should be noted that Jeremy Strong, playing a present-day-adjacent version of Zuckerberg, is [at 47] only five years older than Zuckerberg [42]. But that didn’t stop Sonny Bunch from suggesting Strong is “15 years too old.”
“Looks like an SNL sketch,” tweeted Granite Mtn., and OK, we’ll allow that one. That’s pretty damning, honestly, if you watch it through that lens.
We do not disagree that “she’s disrupting” is a terrible line, no matter how self-aware it is. It is abjectly gag-reflex triggering.
Also allowed: “The firehose of bad information” line really is a peanut-butter-and-horseradish sandwich of a mixed metaphor.
But aren’t “eye-rollingly awful lines” what we like about Aaron Sorkin? Doesn’t that come with the territory?
Zara Rahim got this one wrong however, as Strong’s Zuckerberg voice is just the right balance of know-it-all ’90s dentist and smug Kermit the Frog. He nails this.
If “The Social Reckoning” cleans up at the Oscars – and it just might – “Chuck Ross” is going to regret this tweet:
Anyway, never judge a movie by its trailer, but definitely don’t judge it by your prejudicious expectations – right Jesse Walker?
And for the big finale, a prediction that’s probably wrong? But you never know:
