Betty Gilpin

The Social Reckoning (2026): I Reckon You Should See Something Else

Posted on by Jack Drees

“The Social Reckoning” is written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (Molly’s Game, Being the Ricardos) and stars Mikey Madison (Anora, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood), Jeremy Allen White (Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, The Bear), Wunmi Mosaku (Loki, Sinners), Betty Gilpin (Mrs. Davis, GLOW), Billy Magnussen (Game Night, Made for Love), Bill Burr (The King of Staten Island, F is for Family), and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice, Succession). This film follows Facebook engineer Frances Haugen and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz as the two work together to blow the whistle on Facebook’s secrets.

As a film fan, it pains me to mention that I waited about 16 years to watch “The Social Network” after it came out in theaters. That is despite hearing rave reviews, seeing the film make some best film of the year and decade lists, and owning a really cool-looking Blu-ray copy of it since 2019. I finally put in that Blu-ray disc for a reason, and I am pleased to say that I was delighted with the movie. The story moves at a breakneck pace and comes packed with tons of technical nuggets including the fast editing, the stunning color palette, David Fincher’s shot choices, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score. In front of the camera, each member of the cast does a fantastic job, most especially Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg.

Now… Let’s take everything that was great about that movie and toss it into the black void of space!

That is because a new sheriff is in town, and its name is “The Social Reckoning!” What a bore this movie was. Is it just me, or is October becoming the new January? I feel like we’ve had a hot streak of crap at the box office lately, and “The Social Reckoning” is just the latest example.

“The Social Reckoning” is one of those movies that when I first heard about it I thought, “Okay, that might work.” Did we need this movie? Not really, but in a world where every other fictional movie is getting a sequel, it is fascinating to see “The Social Network,” based on real life events get a companion piece. Facebook has changed a lot over the years, and so has Mark Zuckerberg. That said, this movie is, for the most part, not necessarily about him. Instead, it is about someone who works at Facebook and their connection to someone at the Wall Street Journal who is getting a story out of them. This has the bones to work. After all, recent years have shown that journalism-based stories like “Spotlight” or “The Post” have a tendency to get some attention during awards season, maybe this could follow in their footsteps.

It doesn’t even come close matching the positive experiences I had watching those movies.

I did not watch “The Social Network” when it came out, so while I did enjoy the film, I did not have the same attachment to it that maybe some people did early on. However, as someone who watched “The Social Reckoning” days following its release, I can say that this film is lacking in personality. There is a lot that feels cookie cutter including the shots, the color grading, the directorial choices… It does not have the oomph that “The Social Network” had. This is even noticeable in the performances. Despite this film casting Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White, who have proven themselves to be talented, the film does not have a single scene featuring either of them that stands out.

Arguably the most interesting performance in the film is Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg. Of all the characters in this film, he comes off as the most robotic, perhaps on purpose. Much like Eisenberg’s portrayal in 2010, Strong dives into Zuckerberg’s quirks. But these are much different quirks this time around. Eisenberg’s Zuckerberg was occasionally hyperactive and dynamic. He was energetic. Strong feels much flatter. Usually I list that as a critique, but not today. Strong gives a Sheldon Cooper vibe throughout the entire film. You could also argue this character is Sheldon Cooper if he dyed his hair orange. While Zuckerberg is by no means stupid, the movie dives into his social abnormalities. Other people are telling Zuckerberg how to talk and present himself.

Aaron Sorkin, much like “The Social Network,” takes a non-linear approach in the screenplay, but the material is not as engaging as what was given in 2010. That said, I could see this film being somewhat easier to follow than “The Social Network,” but I also left “The Social Network” compelled enough by its fast-paced narrative to think about giving it a second viewing. That is not the case with this 2026 follow-up.

Speaking of the screenplay, this material is not going to change anybody’s minds. First off, no one is buying tickets to “The Social Reckoning,” so there is that detail to keep in mind. Second, this movie takes a particular viewpoint, which there is nothing wrong with. Mankind’s greatest stories have a viewpoint. That said, if you are fond of President Trump, and happened to be fond of him for the past number of years, you might not like this movie. If you are on the opposite side of the spectrum, this movie is probably going to align with your preexisting beliefs.

Also, I cannot speak for every viewer, this film heavily dives into how Facebook (and by extension, Instagram), negatively affects its userbase. This movie would probably be more compelling if I were not aware of some of these things already. Maybe if I were not on social media I would enjoy this movie more. But I live in an age where I know enough about how the algorithm works, and some of the less than stellar ways the algorithm gets utilized. This movie seems to be going in with a swift punch, but it doesn’t hit that hard. I hate saying this next critique because movies typically take a long time to make, and I am sure “The Social Network” is no exception… But despite this movie being set in the 2020s, the subject matter already feels somewhat dated. When it comes to movies about tech, I have a strong feeling that another movie coming out this year, “Artificial,” is going to tackle A.I. in such a way that is relevant to today’s times. “The Social Reckoning” failed to do that with Facebook. I am not saying that this movie is not going to impact somebody, it just didn’t impact me.

In the end, “The Social Reckoning” is a bland, forgettable film that is probably not going to change the world in the way its crew imagined it would. Aaron Sorkin plays around with a good idea, and the fact that he is diving back into the world of Facebook rather than having someone else do the screenplay makes this film all the more intriguing, but the results left me disappointed. The characters have no pizazz. The direction is dull. The script feels like a step down from its predecessor, if you want to call it that. If it were not for Aaron Sorkin being involved, and perhaps the big names like Mikey Madison and Bill Burr, I would not be shocked if we lived in alternate reality where “The Social Reckoning” winds up going straight to streaming. Heck, the movie acknowledges the COVID-19 pandemic, so it would have been somewhat fitting to have “The Social Reckoning” wind up where almost every other film released in 2020 happened to go. I am going to give “The Social Reckoning” a 4/10.

“The Social Reckoning” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now!

Thanks for reading this review! I am happy to announce that the next episode of the Scene Before original series Movie Requests drops Monday, November 2nd! This episode is going to feature “Adam Ruins Everything” star Adam Conover! You may also know Conover from “The Crystal Maze,” “The G Word with Adam Conover,” as well as his podcast series “Factually! with Adam Conover.” His new comedy special “Big Divorce Energy” is available now on his YouTube channel, which you should totally subscribe to. He makes some excellent long-form videos, and I recommend watching them in your spare time. And you can catch the new episode of Movie Requests on MY YouTube channel, please subscribe now, that way you can stay alert for when said episode officially drops!

My next review is going to be for “Sense and Sensibility.” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “Whalefall,” “Wildwood,” “Clayface,” and “You Can See Everything.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, it feels weird saying this at this point in the review… I have a Facebook page and you should totally give it a follow! I want to know, did you see “The Social Reckoning?” What did you think about it? Or, did you see “The Social Network?” Tell me your thoughts about that movie! Which of the two “Social” movies do you prefer? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

The Hunt (2020): A Bloody, Brain-Damaging Political Meltdown

Posted on by Jack Drees

“The Hunt” is directed by Craig Zobel (Compliance, Z for Zachariah) and stars Ike Barinholtz (Blockers, Snatched), Betty Gilpin (GLOW, Nurse Jackie), Amy Madigan (Roe vs. Wade, Gone Baby Gone), Emma Roberts (Nerve, Scream Queens), Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl, Boy Meets World), and Hilary Swank (Insomnia, Boys Don’t Cry). This film follows twelve strangers who are taken separately but wake up together in a clearing. They eventually find out they are placed for a specific gathering known as the Hunt, where elites take down those of lower class for sport.

“The Hunt” is a film that I have been intrigued by since I saw a trailer for it last year, particularly due to its subject matter. The rich hunt down the poor for sport? Sign me up! This can make for a good movie! Then the movie got delayed because of political and human issues. Although at the same time this movie gained controversy because it’s about liberal elites killing deplorables. I never really bought into this ideology, not because of my views on politics and society, but because I never picked up anything in the marketing that specifically shows anything of extreme political nature. Yes, there’s a lot of weaponry and shooting, and that can associate with the second amendment, but I saw this is a movie where the higher-class and lower-class duke it out! Kind of like “Ready or Not,” although in this case there is more than one person representing the lower class.

Having seen “The Hunt” from start to finish, I now see what everyone is talking about. This movie is extreme, unapologetically political, and most of all, it’s just awful. Awful, plain and simple!

For the record, I saw “The Hunt” towards the end of October 30th. This review is being written on October 31st. So I had some time, not to mention a good night’s sleep to think about this movie. There’s a lot that can happen in one night between the passage of time, stars shooting the air, and figuring out how you can sleep in a different spot than usual on your memory foam mattress. A lot of changes have occurred, and that’s why I’m here to tell you that when it comes to my thoughts on “The Hunt,” I can confirm that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAS CHANGED!

“The Hunt” is a mess of a film! The worst part about it, compared to a few other bad movies that came out this year like “Scoob!” and “The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson,” I had reasons to look forward to it! Remember last year when we got “Ready or Not?” That movie SMASHED! I walked out of the auditorium grinning like an idiot because I felt terrified, but I had a ton of fun at the same time. Both movies deal with similar issues. Higher and lower classes going against each other, fighting to the death. But the thing about “Ready or Not,” aside from it being super crazy, balls to the wall, and just an overall good time, is that I did not need to know everything about either side to understand them. I knew one side was elite, the other not as elite. While I was rooting for one person in particular, I at least understood both sides. There was even a fantasy aspect to that movie! That is bonkers! And part of me wishes I came up with the idea for “Ready or Not!”

Here, this film follows a bunch of people on one side, pretty much all of them are on some level of the right. All of them are unlikable. But hey! The left get some representation too! Guess what? It’s just as bad! I don’t care what political identity you have! What your views are on gender roles! Just be a character that does not get on my nerves! There’s a ton of lines in this film that poke toward extremes for the left and right, and pretty much each and every time I lost my mind. Now I don’t mind political or social commentary in my media. It’s everywhere! One of the recent films I reviewed, “Yellow Rose,” follows a family living illegally in the United States. Regardless of my views on that, I saw that the crew managed to make a GOOD STORY first. They didn’t hammer me over the head with what I should believe and treat me like an idiot. Sure, every movie, including that one, has a vision and part of that has to do with what the director or writer feels is “the right of the world,” but if you can do that while creating admirable characters and watchable storylines, you will allow me to keep my attention toward the screen.

I always watch “Family Guy,” which dives deep into a political or societal issue every other episode, but it manages to keep the humor and for the most part, provides some intrigue from a character and story perspective. “The Hunt” had none of that. This feels like a bad “Family Guy” episode stretched out for an hour and a half because it deals with more politics, and crappy characters from left to right. There is not one person I could side with during this film. Everyone is just a caricature of what is wrong with society, and they fail to represent any charm whatsoever.

In fact, this whole movie starts off like a “Family Guy” episode, there’s political humor, blood, gore, and violence. Sometimes it’s borderline comical. Unfortunately, this feels like a “Family Guy” episode from the later seasons, where they rely too much on gross-out humor or dark violence or politics. Too much of something can lead to boredom with said thing. And unfortunately, when it comes to how this movie deals with political satire, it wears out really fast.

“The Hunt” is a movie that made me ask a ton of questions. For example, “Why am I watching this?” Another example, “When will this be over?” Also, “THIS IS ONLY AN HOUR AND A HALF?!” This movie may be short, but it is certainly not sweet. The worst part about this movie, is that my first impression of it resembled a sense of excitement. There was violence, blood, guts, suspense, and all that jazz, but by the time we get to the first moments in the gas station, all the building blocks fall to the ground. Yes, there is some intrigue throughout the movie, but I did not care. The intrigue came from characters who I never grew to admire. I couldn’t stand any of them, and I continued to wonder why I would watch them. And speaking of questions, there is some mystery attached to certain characters as the runtime ticks, but one question I wanted answered about the film never gets answered. I admire when films leave certain points open to interpretation, but this was not one of those times, I just felt pissed off if anything.

I will say one thing though, this movie has some good casting. Ike Barinholtz is genuinely charming here, and this should not be a surprise given how Barinholtz usually turns out to be one of the best parts of everything he’s in. Even in “Snatched,” that terrible Amy Schumer flick, he had some of the best lines and was arguably the most energetic member of the cast. Barinholtz gives it his all. Hilary Swank is likable here too as the mysterious Athena. And even though I never got attached to the main protagonist of Crystal, I think Betty Gilpin played her part well in this film. The cast is admirable, but you can say the same thing about “Cats” too! Doesn’t say much about the film’s quality! Ian McKellan is in this movie! What does he do? He licks a plate!

I’m out.

I know I recently said that 2020 gave the best film of the year with “Over the Moon,” which if you have not seen, it is extraordinary. But with “The Hunt,” this reminds me of the horrors 2020 originally intended to deliver. Part of me is glad I did not see this in March, because I wouldn’t have wanted my final movie theater experience before the pandemic to be so insufferable that I would not want to go back when everything returned to normal. Not only is this one of the worst films of 2020, but by far one of the most disappointing. I heard it was going to get political. I thought it would just be sprinkled in! THIS IS RIDDLED with political madness! Or even issues that should be human issues that are made political because our society is making heads spin all over! Just talking about this movie makes me ultra-nervous for my next physical, because it’s sending my blood pressure through the roof!

In the end, “The Hunt” is almost indescribably bad. “The Hunt” makes me want to move to Canada! I’ve rarely felt as grossed-out, and I don’t mean that in a good way, after watching a movie. Again, I go back to “Ready or Not.” That film deals with similar themes, but it leaves all the fun in there while also handling the serious vibe that these themes bring. And most importantly, in that movie, I cared about everyone, regardless of their motivations! So if you want to watch something spooky this Halloween, go watch “Ready or Not,” now available on DVD, Blu-ray, Digital, HBO, and HBO Max! Don’t watch “The Hunt!” And I will say, I live in the United States. This is too much politics for me before an election. Although I really hope that failed to sway me in one direction or the other in regard to my opinion on this movie. What is my opinion on this movie, you ask? I’m going to give “The Hunt” a 2/10.

This movie had a fantastic start, but it is all downhill from there! If you have brain cells, do yourself a favor, take a nap. Don’t watch this movie! They say that television rots the brain, but this movie destroys it. Avoid “The Hunt” at all costs!

Thanks for reading this review! Happy Halloween to everyone reading this, otherwise known as the last day that I will tell everyone, “IT’S NOT CHRISTMASTIME YET! STOP DECORATING THE STORES!” November 1st is when I think it’s go time. Although if I have to hear some of the same songs over and over again, I will consider going into cryogenic sleep. Nevertheless, I’m not sure what my next review will be. I will be a bit busy next week as I will be celebrating my 21st birthday. For all I know, I might not even post anything. Although I have been dedicated to making a post a week for years now, so who knows. Anything can happen! Be sure to follow Scene Before either with an email or WordPress account so you can stay tuned for more great content! Also, check out my Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “The Hunt?” What did you think about it? Also, did you see “Ready or Not?” What are your thoughts on that? Personally it is favorite movie of 2019! Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Stuber (2019): Somewhat Worthy of a Tip

Posted on by Jack Drees

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“Stuber” is directed by Michael Dowse (What If, Man Seeking Woman) and stars Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick, Silicon Valley) and Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade Runner 2049). This film is about a duo who meet at a random point in time, setting up an unexpected adventure. One guy is an Uber driver and the other is a cop on a mission. Stu, the Uber driver, is assisting Vic, the cop, in completing said mission.

I saw this film last night as part of an advanced screening. I was gonna go see it a couple weeks back, but I ended up canceling that commitment for several reasons. However, I got to take another chance at an advanced screening and I was not gonna let it go to waste. “Stuber” was HEAVILY advertised on my TV. Every time I had my cable on truTV or some other similar channel, it was almost a guarantee that I would see an ad for “Stuber” throughout a majority of the commercial breaks. If I had a nickel for every time I saw a “Stuber” ad before checking this movie out, I’d probably use that to pay for a good portion of a ticket to go see “Stuber” with the public. And there are many times when I saw the ads to which they made me grin. I thought Nanjiani and Bautista would make an excellent buddy-esque pair, and the movie would have the same, proper action-comedy vibe that a film like “Central Intelligence” managed to provide.

How was “Stuber” you ask? Well, instead of answering that question outright, part of me wants to remind you all that I wanted to become a game show host. Because I could easily ask such a question, go to a commercial break, and reveal my thoughts when the show returns. But I can’t do that, because this is the blog of the movie reviewing moron. So, if that statement does not provide any hints, the answer to that question nearly resembles a wheel of confusion. But if I had to provide an answer at this moment, I’d say the movie was fun and humorous, which is the least I can ask for from a comedy. But the reason why I feel like I have a wheel of confusion in my mind is because even though the movie made me laugh, it is simultaneously clashing with a number of awkward or less than interesting moments. But the good news is, all of it doesn’t feel like it lasts forever due to the movie’s short runtime of an hour and thirty-three minutes. The film is a breeze to get through even with it’s flaws. So did I enjoy it? Absolutely! Would I give it a second watch? Sure! …On TBS.

If you ask me, the writing for “Stuber” is decent enough comedy-wise. It has a number of smart jokes that involve possible annoyances when it comes to driving an Uber, a number of gags involving Nanjiani’s driving, and the blending of the scaredy cat driver and fearless cop.

I will say though, on that second part, one thing that I found interesting was the choice to make Kumail Nanjiani’s car a Nissan Leaf. Partially because it is an electric car, which manages to bring in a certain flair to the film that would have not been present had the car been absent, and to my personal surprise, it did not make the movie feel like a commercial. Granted, one of the car’s crucial features (and downfalls) happen to make an appearance in the film at a certain point, but it flowed nevertheless. There’s a moment at the end of the film that makes the movie almost feel like a commercial for Uber, but it saves itself from becoming one at the last minute. Granted, it almost made me want to buy a Nissan Leaf, but if you don’t know me, I kinda care about the environment in some ways so I had a thought like that in my head before going to see this movie.

Moving onto characters, Kumail Nanjiani does a fine job at portraying the Uber driver who has no other desire than to just stay away from danger. But I also kind of admire how part of the movie’s plot tries to emphasize the importance of his character’s “five star wishes.” He asks his customers to give him a five star rating, he wants to keep himself in a good combined rating position in order to continue being a driver, and while it was sometimes funny to read some of the one star reviews for Nanjiani, I felt his pain as I read those because for what I saw, he was doing everything he can to impress his customers. Sadly though, his chemistry with Dave Bautista, while somewhat effective, was kind of off at times.

In fact, when it comes to Bautista (right), he’s very hit or miss in this movie. I buy him as a cop who kicks ass and takes names, but there are a select few moments, which are too unimportant to talk about, where I felt like he was stumbling in the acting department. Granted, Bautista was never really the best actor to begin with. I imagine he is a lovely guy, and he can occasionally provide a fun screen presence kind of like he did in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies, but there are select moments where he would say one line and it feels out of place based on the way Bautista executed said line. Although one of the best parts of Bautista’s character in this film is that he goes through the entire runtime with poor eyesight, we see various shots that provide his character’s perspective. He has to stare at a handheld eye chart and each shot is fuzzy, I thought it was a good way to highlight the character’s weakness. And despite how serious blindness can be in real life and how much it can ruin or alter one’s outlook on things, there was a moment in the film leading up to the eventual pairing of Nanjiani and Bautista that I thought was very funny. Unfortunately, despite some hilarity between the pair, it didn’t click at every solitary second.

Another problem I had with the movie is despite the short runtime, there are a lot of crucial plot points that go into it, which is fine, but these plot points felt like loose Jenga blocks on the verge of falling to the ground. Would the movie be fine with its additional plot points staying in? Absolutely. But they nevertheless almost felt like they could have been left out of the screenplay. If that were the case, the movie might have ended up being better because we can focus on the dynamic duo as opposed to anything else. Granted, Nanjiani’s character had a rather interesting side story (two of them in fact), but there’s one of them that feels like it BARELY has a purpose of being in the film. I won’t go into much detail, but still.

In the end, “Stuber” is a fun comedy to watch, maybe at matinee price, or once it becomes free on television. Nevertheless, it kind of feels like a throwaway movie, which is somewhat disappointing because I was looking forward to this, and I thought it was going to be better than it ultimately was. For crying out loud, the first screening I tried to get into for this film was held two weeks prior to the film’s release! I guess the studio had some faith in “Stuber” before it came out! Nanjiani and Bautista as a pair resemble a game of “Pong.” You may get some lucky hits, but a few less than satisfying misses. But compared to “Pong,” “Stuber” is much easier to get through. I’m going to give “Stuber” a 6/10.

Thanks for reading this review! I just want to let everyone know that this Monday I am going to be continuing my Quentin Tarantino review series, and I have decided that my second review is going to be for “Django Unchained” starring Jamie Foxx (Ray, Collateral) as a freed slave who teams up with a bounty hunter to help him reunite with his wife. I just watched the film this past Tuesday and I will have my thoughts on it posted as soon as Monday approaches. Be sure to follow Scene Before to check out that post in the future, please support the blog by subscribing through your WordPress account or email, and if you are on Facebook, check out my page! Also, I don’t demand a 5 star rating, but clicking that LIKE star on the post would definitely be appreciated! I want to know, did you see “Stuber?” What did you think about it? Or, either as a customer or an employee, what is one of your most interesting, best, or worst Uber experiences? It can even be for Lyft for all I care! Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!