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In the vast, ever-expanding ocean of social media platforms and the digital world as a whole, from the now-defunct MySpace to the ever-growing YouTube, one site remains dominant. While Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat get plenty of daily use from people all across the globe, the positive and negative impacts that one website founded in the early 2000s in a college dorm spawned outweighs them all: Facebook. Award-winning director David Fincher depicts the origins of this infamous site in his 2010 film The Social Network. Fincher’s directorial magnum opus remains a staple of pop culture and cinema itself nearly eleven years after its release. The film’s Best Picture loss to The King’s Speech at the 2011 Academy Awards is still widely considered to be one of the biggest snubs in Oscars history.
The infamous confrontation scene between Eduardo and Mark still regularly makes the rounds on TikTok and Twitter. The film’s success and the ubiquitous love film nerds, everywhere, have for it didn’t come out of nowhere. With every year that’s passed since 2010, more and more outstanding films hit theaters. Yet The Social Network continues to garner praise and admiration from both casual viewers and aspiring filmmakers-and for good reason. The Social Network still holds up over a decade later due to the strength of the film’s every component and its timeless messages about social media and broken friendships.
A Clever, Snappy Script Elevates Each Scene
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin grabbed gold at the 2011 Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, and for good reason. Any scene of The Social Network can play at random, and at least one memorable quote can be plucked from the on-screen dialogue. Before the Columbia Pictures logo fades and gives way to the beginning of the film, Jesse Eisenberg’s already talking a mile a minute, giving audiences a taste of what’s to come. Deposition scenes hold immense tension and weight, despite the bulk of these moments being filled with nothing but dialogue. In fact, the majority of the film is dialogue-heavy, with conversations on campus, at business meetings, and during lawsuits making up the bulk of the story. Mark building Facebook from the group up may be the catalyst for all of these conversations, but his and the actions of others take a backseat to the pure discussions that dominate the runtime. Yet the pacing never drags, wavers, or stumbles.
Whip-smart dialogue isn’t Sorkin’s only strength as a screenwriter. The film’s two-hour runtime zips by quicker than it takes to post a status update, a testament to both strong pacing and an even stronger, well-polished screenplay. Just as Mark gets swept up into the world of website building, Palo Alto, and two separate lawsuits, the audience gets sucked into the story. What’s happening on screen pulls viewers in like a riptide, refusing to relinquish its grip until the credits begin to roll. Even as the film ping-pongs between depositions, Mark and Eduardo’s college days, and Napster founder Sean Parker’s rise in the company, the timeline remains clear and engaging, thanks to both Sorkin as well as Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, the film’s editors.
Sprinkled throughout the pages of The Social Network‘s script include action descriptions that add another layer to the characters and the plot. One scene involves Eduardo heading down the hall of a campus building after hearing loud whoops and cheers. When he enters the room, he sees a circle of computers manned by other students, all of whom must write code and take shots between said code lines. For the few seconds Mark examines their work, you can feel the straining of the spectators’ lungs from holding in their breath. Right when you feel your own heart begin to beat a little faster in anticipation, Mark shakes the student’s hand and welcomes him to Facebook, signaling the end of the competition. That kid may as well have caught the winning touchdown pass or drained a buzzer-beating half-court shot; the crowd truly goes wild, their screams and shouts not unlike those typically heard on Saturday nights on Frat Row.
Sorkin’s script takes a simple concept for a scene-Mark recruiting interns for Facebook-and turns it into a rich, exciting, and downright fun viewing experience. Sorkin possesses a talent for crafting screenplays. He’s penned numerous award-winning films such as Moneyball, A Few Good Men, and The Trial of the Chicago 7 throughout his decades-long career. The source material proves to be well-crafted, and the line delivery from every cast member-only helps bolster it.
Powerful Performances From The Leads
Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Garfield’s of Eduardo Saverin anchor the film. Their strong chemistry makes their friendship feel all the more real, making its eventual destruction cut even deeper. The Social Network wastes no time in establishing their bond. At the start of the film, Mark creates Face Smash, a website that allows users to compare and vote on which female undergrads on campus are more attractive than the other. Eduardo comes over after reading about Mark’s breakup on the latter’s blog and worriedly crafts an equation to help the website run. Mark’s roommates participate as well. These scenes appear simple, but they establish the friendship between Mark and Eduardo organically, bolstered by Eisenberg and Garfield’s pitch-perfect acting.
Eisenberg oozes quiet arrogance, intelligence, and awkwardness in every scene he’s in, brilliantly conveying the kind of self-importance only certain computer science majors and tech boys possess that leave everyone else who’s into tech saddled with an undeserved reputation. He encapsulates Zuckerberg’s brilliance and detached exterior in the deposition scenes wonderfully, with a few quips and outbursts sprinkled in to remind audiences that Zuckerberg isn’t as robotic as he appears. These communicative skills, however, don’t make an appearance in the film’s opening scene, when he holds a stilted yet rushed conversation with his ex-girlfriend Erica at a crowded bar. His intelligence morphs into condescension, obviousness, and a flimsy shield for his wounded pride. Eisenberg nails this balance.
Garfield shines in his role as well, stealing every scene he’s in faster than Facebook allegedly swipes user data. Garfield masterfully displays Eduardo Saverin’s optimism, passion, and care for both the site and his best friend, slowly transforming into skepticism, hurt, and frustration. Even in the moments where no words are said, his body language screams whatever he’s feelings loud and clear. Garfield delivers a career-defining performance in The Social Network; whether he’s screaming about the marlins and the trout or giving Mark a stone-cold look of hurt during depositions, he has your attention and refuses to let it go.
From the subtle changes in facial expressions to explosive outbursts that make you feel every ounce of his frustration and fear, Garfield commands attention every time he appears on screen. (Credited in part by the costume designer for the film, Jacqueline West, who ensured Eduardo’s immaculately tailored suits remain intact for the entirety of the runtime). These two put their feet on the gas pedal and don’t let up until the final scene fades to black. Eisenberg and Garfield cover an enormous spectrum of emotions throughout the film, from anger to apathy and everything in between. Above all, they make each facial expression, each physical gesture, and each scene feel believable and fraught with emotion.
The Supporting Cast Makes Their Presence Felt
Editor’s Note: Recently, numerous allegations have come out about Armie Hammer. This article will discuss his performance in the film only, not his status regarding the allegations or anything pertaining to it. The sole focus will be on his acting abilities and not who he is outside of those.
The supporting cast also makes their presence known. Rooney Mara, who plays the role of Erica Albright, Mark’s ex-girlfriend, delivers her lines with steady grace and composure. Her closing line to Mark in the film’s opening scene that shook entitled nerds everywhere to their very cores echoes throughout the rest of the film. When Erica chastises Mark about writing about her on his blog after running into each other at a restaurant, she shuts him down swiftly and cooly. Brenda Song, who portrays Eduardo’s girlfriend, Christy, steps out of the Disney Channel spotlight and showcases her range as an actress. The song goes from flirty to furious seamlessly, making the most of her limited screen time. Rashida Jones’s performance as junior lawyer Marilyn Delpy may be small, but her gentle demeanor and wise closing words to Mark allow her to stand out among those seated at every deposition.
The second Sean Parker, portrayed by Justin Timberlake, appears on screen; he casually feels the need to one-up the girl he slept with the night before. Even as Amy, portrayed by Dakota Johnson, casually talks to him on her way to the shower, he responds with Sorkin’s brilliantly penned quips before going online and seeing Facebook for himself. When he saunters into a business lunch with Mark, Eduardo, and Christy, you can practically smell the overpriced cologne wafting off his strutting body. Timberlake’s performance walks a fine line between duplicitous and dynamic, just as it was intended to.
Armie Hammer, who portrays not one but both of the Winklevoss twins, captures the frustration and outrage at the boys’ first time not getting their rich daddy to fix all their problems. Hammer’s evident pretentiousness is a remnant of many privileged Ivy League kids, and a few of his lines may make some eyes roll to the back of heads. The adding of Hammer’s face onto Josh Pence’s body in post-production was so seamless many believed Hammer was, in fact, a pair of twins instead of a singular person. The competitiveness and fury Hammer displays in rowing and depositions scenes alike make the twins stand out as characters. Both twins’ friendship with Divya Narenda, portrayed by Max Minghalla, provides a preppier mirror to that of Mark and Eduardo. Narenda also delivers a strong performance, his fury and spite for Zuckerberg’s ghosting and ‘stealing’ of his and the Winklevoss’ idea for the Harvard Connections palpable.
A strong supporting cast can elevate a film from good to great, and The Social Network is no exception to this. Every actor and actress delivers compelling performances that don’t get lost in the shuffle of the film’s extensive cast. Whether they’re on screen for two or twenty minutes total, the supporting cast of this movie proves a strong ensemble is just as crucial as strong performances from the leads.
Its Emphasis On The Social Rather Than The Network
Mark and Eduardo’s slowly unraveling friendship serves as the film’s core. While the rise of Facebook and the numerous depositions keep the story moving, the heart of The Social Network lies in the partnership between two best friends who gradually turn into enemies due to greed, selfishness, and disregard for one’s feelings. Meetings, technological jargon, and the rapidly growing Facebook serve as a garnish to the crumbling relationship. As the film goes on, Mark and Eduardo’s scenes no longer carry the easy cadence they once had. At about the halfway point, Eduardo wants to put ads on Facebook in order to generate revenue. Mark doesn’t want to, and when Sean Parker comes into the picture and agrees with Mark, it becomes the first of many blows to their relationship.
Everything culminates in the iconic confrontation scene. Towards the end of the film, Eduardo discovers that a newly made investment deal made by Mark and the company means Eduardo’s shares sank from 34% to a meager 0.03%. When Saverin confronts Zuckerberg about his diluted shares and makes his promise to come back for everything, it’s saddening and chilling because it’s the nail in the coffin for this friendship. Eduardo starts the film off running to be with Mark after his breakup and promising to be there for him for everything, and everything but in the depositions, he’s cold, sad, and aloof, and no longer friends with his college buddy. Gone is the hopeful, earnest student who wanted to get into a Harvard final club and make his father proud. Gone is the budding entrepreneur who poured thousands upon thousands of dollars into Facebook, but more importantly, into someone he thought was his best friend, someone he believed in.
Mark, in contrast, begins as a misogynistic, insecure genius with a few friends. He may end the runtime as the world’s youngest billionaire, but the final scene lingers on his sole presence in the law office, refreshing his Facebook to see if his ex-girlfriend accepts his friend’s request over and over again. He gains billionaires of dollars only to lose something you can’t buy: platonic and romantic relationships. In his quest to make Facebook, he lost his best, and according to Eduardo, his only friend along the way. Friendships can also end in heartbreak, and The Social Network shows both sides of a fractured bond that can never be repaired.
High Production Quality In Every Area Of Filmmaking
The production design and atmosphere of The Social Network pull you into the frosty yet cozy world of a Harvard University winter in the early 2000s. Dorms with creaking wooden floors, wide, snowy shots of the campus, and students encumbered with heavy jackets and backpacks bursting with that semester’s workload make these scenes feel all the more real. When Mark, his interns, and his other roommates head to Palo Alto for the summer, fluffy snow gets traded for golden California sunshine and one late-night summer downpour. The fluorescent lights in Facebook’s West Coast office feel as artificial as Mark’s remorse for creating Facesmash. The scene when the Winklevoss twins and Harvard’s rowing team compete in the Henley Royal Regatta plays with depth of field and adds yet another artistic flair to the film. You can practically feel the cold spray of the Themes with each heave of the oars.
Unique, striking cinematography makes every shot look like art, whether it’s the inside of a dorm or a restaurant bathroom. Golds, greens, grays, and browns wash over every scene. This color palette appears in more of Fincher’s work, most notably his 2007 film Zodiac. While The Social Network and more of Fincher’s work aren’t the first movies to utilize this style of cinematography, it’s become a trademark for the director. Any shot from The Social Network can be pulled at random, and when the average film nerd gets asked what film it’s from, the answer will come swiftly. Thanks to Fincher’s love of wide shots, everything in the frame from buildings to characters to sidewalks gets painted. Costume design is also crucial in establishing the atmosphere of a film. Suits in deposition scenes contrast with the t-shirts and unbuttoned shirts worn by those in the dorm rooms. Costume design describes the characters wordlessly.
Mark’s jeans, hoodies, and t-shirts and Eduardo’s fitted blazers and suits illustrate their personalities, no explanations needed. Sean Parker’s sleazy exterior matches what’s inside. While seemingly minor details, the clothing characters wear explain what their personalities are like while also heightening the film’s settings and plot. The haunting score that runs like a babbling brook throughout scenes only raises the emotion and power of what’s happening on screen. When Mark confronts Eduardo, the score isn’t angry or explosive-it’s melancholic. When a lawyer reads the timeline of Mark avoiding working on the site the Winklevosses and Narinda wanted him to develop for them during a deposition scene, piano and synthesizers blend together to create a taut, electrifying piece. Much like a movie focused on the creation of Facebook, the score is a lot better than it has the right to be.
Every single installment captures and elevates the complex emotions and actions of those on screen. It won a Golden Globe for best original score, and after giving it a quick listen on Spotify, it’s easy to see why. The Social Network takes every component of filmmaking and fine-tunes it. Seemingly innocuous details don’t get overlooked, from the flip-flops on Mark’s feet to objects haphazardly scattered around the Palo Alto house Mark uses as Facebook HQ in the summer. Much like the acting and screenplay, the production design, cinematography, costume design, and score are all top-notch. There are plenty of movies with strong acting but have a few technical areas of improvement, and vice versa. The Social Network is not one of them.
It Maintains Relevancy In A Facebook-Dominated World
Facebook, the most-used social media platform worldwide, is no stranger to scandal and serious incidents. From election disinformation and hate speech running rampant to serious data breaches, the site’s infamy couldn’t have been predicted by a 2010 film. While other social networks have had their fair share of missteps, the list of Facebook’s blunders matches its user base: neither seems to ever stop growing. What The Social Network did predict, however, is how “the internet isn’t written in pencil. It’s written in ink.” (( Fincher, David, director. The Social Network. Columbia Pictures, 2010. )). Even after PR campaigns and colorful, happy commercials, the damage Facebook did and continues to do remains written in permanent ink that no one can ever scrub away. Facebook remains the most-used social network, yet it arguably has the worst reputation out of the bunch.
The Social Network doesn’t shy away from the early errors of the company and site as a whole. Facebook’s misogynistic origin, depicted in The Social Network, is anything but sugarcoated. Mark creating Facesmash in a drunken state after Erica dumps him isn’t painted out to be a victorious, triumphant win for nerds everywhere. It’s shown to be exactly what it is; sexist, cruel, and just plain wrong. It’s a kind of twisted foreshadowing to the numerous ways Facebook will come to fail its user base throughout the 2010s.
Since Facebook’s inception, it’s only continued to grow. Despite the scandals, through all the hearings the real Mark Zuckerberg went to in Washington D.C., the website shows no signs of slowing down or fading into irrelevancy. Much like Sean Parker predicted in the film, the world does live on the internet. As the 2010s bled into the 2020s, social media user bases expanded, more and more websites were born, and the world continues to become even more digitized. Facebook, much like other social networks, has its merits. It connected people who may never have met otherwise, helped businesses market themselves to a wider audience, and allow people to interact who can’t see each other in real life due to distance or other extenuating circumstances. Nevertheless, the site contains both negatives and positives, but Facebook won’t be going anywhere any time soon if its massive user base is any indication.
The Film’s Legacy
The Social Network remains a staple of Letterboxd accounts, film classes, and conversations about the best movies of the 2010s. All of the hype proves to be deserved. The film possesses every component that makes it something that’s not only well-made but iconic. It doesn’t romanticize Zuckerberg, sugarcoat Facebook’s sexist genesis, or paint a glamorous portrait of the rise of the website. It’s a downward spiral of greed, overambition, and betrayal that’s simply impossible to look away from.
While films about social media can become dated before they’re even released into theaters, The Social Network avoids this trap because its main focus lies in human beings and their interactions. By having the story’s heart be about the friendship between Mark and Eduardo, the film avoids the sinkhole many social media-centered movies fall into. The technology doesn’t overpower the core themes of human relationships and what makes them thrive or collapse. These themes can be explored in any context, from a fantasy world to the early 2000s and the early days of Facebook. If you’ve never seen the film or are long overdue for a rewatch, now might be the time to do so.
