Aaron Sorkin returns to the playing fields of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg, only with a far more urgent and relevant call to take action on big tech’s omnipotence and its manipulation of us. Though Jeremy Strong’s turn as Zuckerberg feels inferior to Jesse Eisenberg’s performance in The Social Network, he effectively portrays the ego that comes from leading the most trusted and revered communication platform, including the lack of responsibility to anyone but himself, even its billions of users. Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White are the film’s most important dynamic, portraying a reluctant whistleblower and a journalist who’s empathetic and refreshingly clueless at times. Betty Gilpin is outstanding and a scene-stealer here as a figure of authority who’s easy to root for, even when she’s harsh on her employees. Bill Burr also has many of the film’s best scenes and lines, while Wunmi Mosaku and Anna Lambe deserve shouts as well in Sorkin’s well-rounded cast.

Sorkin’s dialogue is often strong and finds the right time for great humor, though it isn’t surprising at this point in film to depict the sheer narcissism and societal control that comes to those with unlimited resources. It may underwhelm in comparison to its predecessor, but it tells a story that feels important without losing sight of the absurdity of the power of tech giants and their abuse of it for the sake of numbers and face.