The Social Network – 3 ½ / 5 stars

Harvard sophomore and computer genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) creates a social platform that overtime evolves into Facebook. After it grows into a global network and Zuckerberg becomes the youngest billionaire ever, he is sued by twins who claimed he stole the idea from them and his former business partner and friend (Andrew Garfield) who was squeezed out of the company.

The Social Network was witty, fast and entertaining. I always enjoy movies like this that give you a basic understanding of the history of how something as big as Facebook came into being. I thought the way the story was told with a combination between  flashbacks and the present was very well done and had a nice flow. The movie did seem a little long, but I never necessarily felt bored.

To expand on what I enjoyed about telling the story through flashbacks, the present in the movie has those who helped create Facebook, whether by providing the base idea or the business end, who were suing Zuckerberg. They were all sitting at a deposition with lawyers asking questions, and as they learned the full story, so did we. I’m always a fan of this storytelling strategy because I think it keeps the story fresh and interesting throughout the entire movie.

I’m not sure how historically accurate the film was but it highlighted the main points of how Facebook was created. Zuckerberg may have been a genius, but he really screwed those who helped him build up the company. At the same time, it showed how he captured lightning in a bottle at just the right time; how, although he might have been inspired by other’s ideas, he created something that they themselves couldn’t have accomplished.

Eisenberg did a fantastic job as Zuckerberg and his portrayal of the genius, multitasking, ruthless programmer. I enjoyed seeing his cold and blunt banter with the lawyers and the story from his perspective. To see what I mean, check out this scene. Someone in the YouTube comments below this scene said that this was the Lex Luthor we should have gotten in Batman v Superman, and I couldn’t agree more. He’s cold, calculating and a ruthless genius here. And instead we got, well…just a weirdo.

Overall, I’d rate this movie 3 ½ / 5 stars. I enjoyed learning the story behind the creation of Facebook, but this is not a movie I think I’d revisit anytime soon. It seemed more like a one-and-done type of movie, which is totally fine. If this sounds like something that you might be interested in checking out it is currently available for streaming on Netflix.