The Social Network

Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network (2010) adapted Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires into a cinematic autopsy of Facebook’s founding. Sorkin was attracted not by the technology, but by the timeless themes of loyalty, jealousy, and class. He famously committed to the project after reading just three pages of the book proposal, recognizing a story "as old as storytelling."

The film’s sonic identity was just as influential as its script. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails composed a moody, electronic score that won an Academy Award and shifted the landscape of modern film music. This combination of Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialogue, Fincher’s meticulous visual control, and a cold, driving soundtrack transformed a "website movie" into a definitive cultural document.

Rather than presenting a linear biography of Mark Zuckerberg, the film uses two simultaneous lawsuits—one by Eduardo Saverin and another by the Winklevoss twins—as a framing device. Sorkin intentionally chose this "Rashomon-style" approach because the real-life participants told three conflicting versions of the story under oath. By setting the action in deposition rooms, the film highlights the subjective nature of memory and the bitterness of broken friendships.

This structure allows the film to intercut between the kinetic energy of the early coding sessions at Harvard and the cold, corporate reality of the legal aftermath. It paints Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) as a brilliant but socially isolated figure whose desire for "in-crowd" status led him to create a tool that connected the world while alienating his only friend.

Director David Fincher is renowned for his perfectionism, a trait exemplified by the film's opening scene between Zuckerberg and Erica Albright, which required 99 takes to satisfy his vision. To portray the Winklevoss twins, the production used a sophisticated blend of old and new techniques: actor Armie Hammer performed alongside body double Josh Pence, and Hammer's face was later digitally grafted onto Pence's head in post-production.

Even the rowing sequences required an intense level of commitment. The actors underwent a 10-month "twin boot camp" to master the sport, and Fincher used miniature faking and digital photography to give the Henley Royal Regatta scene a distinct, hyper-real look. This level of detail extended to the marketing; the iconic "500 million friends" poster became a benchmark in film advertising, influencing the "face-on" design of several subsequent dramas.

Upon its release, The Social Network was both a financial and critical juggernaut, grossing $224 million on a modest $40 million budget. It dominated the 2010 awards season, winning three Academy Awards and four Golden Globes. Its reputation has only grown over time; the Writers Guild of America recently ranked the screenplay as the third greatest of the 21st century, and in 2024, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry.

While the film’s factual accuracy remains a point of contention—Zuckerberg and Facebook staff were notably uninvolved—its legacy as a snapshot of the "Information Age" is undisputed. Interest in the story remains high enough that a sequel, The Social Reckoning, is currently scheduled for 2026, with Sorkin returning to explore the darker, modern consequences of the platform’s global dominance.