After 16 Years, The Most Important Movie Of Our Time Keeps Getting Better

by

Even when it first came out, The Social Network felt like a significant film, and its importance has only grown over time. Released in 2010, the movie, directed by David Fincher, received widespread praise for its depiction of Facebook’s creation and the conflicts that occurred during its development.

Although the actors in The Social Network later became huge stars, the film also helped the director’s career take off. While his previous movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, had been both a critical and commercial success, earlier films hadn’t fared as well. For example, 2007’s Zodiac received great reviews from critics, but didn’t make much money at the box office.

While the 2002 film Panic Room did well in theaters, critics didn’t consider it a standout movie. Fight Club, released in 1999, is now a beloved cult classic, but it initially flopped with audiences and only gained popularity years later thanks to its insightful commentary.

The Social Network Chronicles How Our World Changed Forever

Unlike some films, The Social Network was an immediate hit with both critics and audiences, earning $224 million despite only costing $40 million to make. It received multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Director, and Actor, and ultimately won Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Score.

Since its release, The Social Network has sparked a wave of films and TV series about the successes and failures of online business founders. Shows like 2022’s Super Pumped and WeCrashed, the 2023 film Dumb Money, 2025’s Swiped, and even The Dropout starring Amanda Seyfried all clearly took cues from the story told in The Social Network.

David Fincher’s The Social Network tells the story of Facebook’s creators, Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, but it’s also a look back at a time when social media began to transform society. Released in 2010, the film captures a moment right before and after social media became an everyday part of life for most people.

How The Social Network Became Even More Relevant A Decade Later

When the movie The Social Network came out, Facebook already had over half a billion users. By 2025, when a sequel was announced, that number had skyrocketed to nearly three billion. The film’s depiction of a cutthroat industry focused on growth at any cost feels even more accurate today.

The film The Social Network surprisingly makes the technical process of computer coding seem exciting and full of suspense. It also portrays the world of running a social media company as a fast-paced, often cutthroat environment filled with rivalry and deception. As social media has become increasingly important, the movie’s story feels more and more relevant with time.

Since 2010, people have shared vast amounts of data with social media platforms, making these companies incredibly powerful. It’s nearly impossible to fully understand the long-term effects of social media on our culture, society, and politics – even the creators of Facebook, as shown in the movie The Social Network, didn’t foresee how widespread it would become.

Recent tech news confirms that the backstabbing and huge financial stakes depicted in the movie The Social Network are still very common in the world of social media. These companies continue to become larger and more profitable, even as their founders frequently face legal battles.

The Social Network Is Getting A Sequel

Although the initial response to recasting Mark Zuckerberg was varied, it’s no surprise a sequel to The Social Network is planned. Titled The Social Reckoning, and written and directed by the original film’s creator, Aaron Sorkin, it’s scheduled for release on October 6, 2026.

The upcoming film, The Social Reckoning, will feature Mikey Madison, an Academy Award winner, as Frances Haugen. Haugen is the whistleblower who revealed Facebook’s private documents to both the Wall Street Journal and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The movie is based on the events of her 2021 leak and draws inspiration from the Wall Street Journal’s 2021 podcast series, The Facebook Files.

Jeremy Strong, known for his role in Succession, will portray Mark Zuckerberg. He’ll be working alongside Jeremy Allen White, who previously starred in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, playing Jeff Horwitz. Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), Betty Gilpin, and Billy Magnussen complete the impressive cast. However, The Social Reckoning may not reach the same heights as its earlier film, potentially due to Aaron Sorkin’s limited experience with this type of story.

Aaron Sorkin is a highly successful screenwriter known for films like A Few Good Men and The American President, and for his work on the TV show The West Wing. While he’s a seasoned writer, he’s directed fewer films – just three so far. Of those, Molly’s Game and The Trial of the Chicago 7 were particularly praised.

It’s still uncertain if The Social Reckoning will be as successful as Fincher’s 2010 film, The Social Network. That movie perfectly captured a specific moment in the early days of the internet and has proven remarkably accurate in its predictions, making it difficult for any follow-up to have the same effect.

Read More

2026-01-24 17:12