'The Social Reckoning' Rotten Tomatoes Score Falls Far Below 'The Social Network'

The Social Reckoning comes out this Friday, and the critics have spoken. The feature is a standalone sequel to 2010's award-winning movie The Social Network, based on Ben Mezrich's book The Accidental Billionaires. The original film told the story of Facebook's creation, the dispute between Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his former friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), and the lawsuit involving the Facebook founder and the Winklevoss twins (both played by Armie Hammer). Before you watch the sequel, here's what critics have to say about the upcoming feature.

The Social Reckoning was directed by Aaron Sorkin and features a new ensemble cast. Jeremy Strong (The Good Wife) replaces Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, while Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) plays Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, and Mikey Madison (Anora) plays former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen. The feature retells the story of the "2021 Facebook Leak," in which The Wall Street Journal published internal Facebook documents as part of its The Facebook Files investigation. These documents exposed the harmful effects Facebook had on its users, including radicalization, hate speech, and negative body image, as well as the company's alleged prioritization of profits over user safety.

Reviews for The Social Reckoning have arrived, and its reception has been much more mixed than that of its predecessor. As of this writing, The Social Reckoning has earned a 60% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics arguing that the movie fails to capture what made The Social Network great. Collider's Taylor Gates gave The Social Reckoning a 7/10 in her review, praising Madison and Allen White's performances and how the movie presents complex information in a "digestible and entertaining way." However, she described the follow-up as a "downgrade" from The Social Network.

Should You Watch 'The Social Network' Before Watching 'The Social Reckoning'?

While The Social Reckoning was marketed as the long-awaited sequel to The Social Network, you don't have to watch the 2010 feature to understand the new movie. The Social Network covers Facebook's creation when Mark Zuckerberg was still a Harvard University student, as well as the legal troubles he faced as the company grew. These events took place between 2003 and around 2009, while The Social Reckoning takes place roughly a decade later, between 2019 and 2021. The sequel primarily follows Jeff Horwitz and Frances Haugen as they work to hold Facebook accountable for the harm it has caused, while Zuckerberg does not directly interact with the two leads.

But just because The Social Network isn't mandatory viewing doesn't mean it's not worth watching. Critics gave the 2010 movie a Certified Fresh 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it an 87% score on the Popcornmeter. It was also nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and won "Best Adapted Screenplay," "Best Film Editing," and "Best Original Score."