“They don’t have roads, but they have Facebook.” This sentence from The Social Network is not only an example of the film’s punchlines, but also absolutely true for parts of the world since the mid-2000s. David Fincher’s biographical drama is, in our opinion, the best film of the 2010s. Its masterfully told story around the first major social media platform and its founder affects billions of people worldwide – and in view of the current developments at Meta, it is more than relevant again.
Today on TV: The best film of the 2010s won’t be boring for a second
The Social Network is about the young student Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), who, out of a desire for recognition, by chance and with the right intuition, invents the world’s first major social media platform. He starts a billion-dollar revolution puts his life completely through the meat grinder, including his friendship with Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).
The fact that the film is running now of all times is more than fitting. Just this week, Zuckerberg announced that he would be improving his social media universe, now called Meta, based on Elon Musk’s X model: fact checks and moderation will be more or less discontinued (via Tagesschau). Shortly before, the company had appointed a Republican as head of the political department.
Check out the trailer for The Social Network here:
The Social Network – Trailer (German)
The Social Network is a masterpiece in the purest sense of the word. There is not a single dull moment in the entire 120 minutes of the film. Anyone who wanted to know what constitutes the gold standard of screenplay art in film history has to take a look at Aaron Sorkin’s dialogues.
Fincher turns it into one thanks to the star cast around Eisenberg and an incredible soundtrack Adrenaline bomb, a screaming fit of laughter, a hard punch in the stomach. The Social Network is a film like a monument, an instant classic. The most unlikely result of all cinematic creation.
When and where can The Social Network be seen?
ZDFneo shows The Social Network on Saturday, December January 11, 2025 at 8:15 p.m. The film will then be available in the ZDFmediathek. You can also stream it as a rental or purchase title on Amazon and Co. or access it at the flat rate on the Amazon channel Arthaus+.
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