JeremyStrong – Credits Rolling

Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) is a young Facebook engineer who loves her job, but even she can’t look away from the effects it’s had on society. Enlisting the help of Jeff Horwtiz (Jeremy Allen White), a Wall Street Journal reporter, the two band together to expose the truth about Meta.

When The Social Network came out in 2010, it received praise left, right and centre. Some argue it is one of the best films to ever grace the screen. I’ll admit I just found it to be okay, but I still appreciate the importance it had on our generation. A lot has changed in social media over the years. A follow up was inevitable; while these platforms have had so much positive impact, they have also been the cause of much detriment. Regardless of how much they decided to depict on screen, it was bound to be an interesting ride.

Madison, coming off of her Oscar win for Anora, delivers a spectacular performance as Frances Haugen. In a much quieter role, she was able to pull in and captivate the audience. The uncertainty of wanting to come forward despite loving her job was portrayed brilliantly. White was solid as the journalist with a lot to prove. He didn’t shine quite as bright as Madison, but I did enjoy their scenes together. Their budding friendship added some lighter tones to the story. Taking over the role of Mark Zuckerberg from Jesse Eisenberg was Jeremy Strong. I’ve read that some weren’t convinced by his take on the character, but I have to disagree. Not only did Strong look like Zuckerberg, I felt like he had his mannerisms down as well. Although he wasn’t as prominently featured as the other two, I do believe he made the most of his screen time.

Facebook started as a way for people to connect with one another. It was groundbreaking and it forever changed the way in which we communicate with each other. Over time, however, the way in which the company tried to engage with more users took a turn. Clicking on something once altered the algorithm and gave audiences things they thought they wanted to see instead of what it was they were actually interested in. This could then easily influence people to alter their beliefs or partake in activities they wouldn’t normally and therefore potentially causing harm to themselves and others.

I actually didn’t know about The Facebook Files and because of that I found the film to be educational. Some of the technical jargon went over my head, but the main idea was there at least. Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the first film, was back in the writer’s seat and this time around also added directing to his title. There’s a lot that can be said for the topic and I’m sure he had a lot of ground he wanted to cover. As the film was just under two hours long, some sequences felt rushed and others were tied up too quickly. Once the story gets going, it really grasped my attention and I could have sat through a little bit more.

While I cannot say that The Social Reckoning is better or worse than The Social Network, I can say that it is an important piece of cinema with a lot to say. With fabulous performances and an intriguing ongoing investigation, it was quite something for me to see the last few years unfolding on screen in front of me. Had it been just a smidge longer, it would have been even better.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

A coming of age story based on the life of director, writer and producer James Gray, Armageddon Time chronicles the life of a Jewish American family. The son in particular, Paul Graff (Banks Repeta), is a kid who dreams of becoming an artist. He struggles to understand the expectations not only within his family but society too, especially when he befriends the rebellious Johnny Davis (Jaylin Webb).

Where this movie really did well was in its performances. To have big names such as Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong star along aside each other was something in itself. And to think that they were all supporting roles who still managed to shine whenever they were on screen. This does not take away whatsoever from the acting chops of Repeta and Webb. As the story is primarily told through the eyes of both children, we see them most of all. I was worried I wouldn’t able to relate to them, but I have to say that the contrary happened.

Paul is different from those around him. His two favorite things in the world are drawing and his beloved grandpa. He doesn’t understand why he has to go to school or why he can’t be friends with the only African American in his class. The fact that he always tried to stick to his guns and stand up for what he believes to be true, at his age, was something I admired.

Unfortunately the story itself gets a bit muddled throughout. There is no clear direction or incident that moves the pace along. It is very much a character driven story and while there’s nothing wrong with that, I kept waiting for something big to happen. The same could be said for the way in which the film ended. It was left open for interpretation and I’m not sure I liked that too much.

At the end of the day, I’m very glad to have seen Armageddon Time. While not originally on my radar, it was an interesting portrayal of a time gone by, but still held true to how life is today.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5