How the tech backlash reached theaters as Silicon Valley leaders face sharper scrutiny

A darker view of tech leaders

Several 2026 releases scrutinize Silicon Valley figures. Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning portrays Mark Zuckerberg as a robotic villain, while You Can See Everything, from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, presents a critical picture of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.

Alex Gibney’s Musk documentary revisits the public’s changing view of Elon Musk. Luca Guadagnino’s dark comedy Artificial offers a character study of Sam Altman that depicts him as manipulative. Together, the projects reflect a less admiring view of technology leaders.

From past reporting to present concerns

The films draw on critical reporting about their subjects, and some are fictionalized dramas. Their stories appear aimed at audiences whose views of Big Tech have dimmed, as major studios increasingly make room for that skepticism.

Compared with David Fincher’s 2010 film The Social Network, which cast Zuckerberg as a complicated, misunderstood savant, The Social Reckoning is more accusatory. It centers on allegations from whistleblower Frances Haugen and links Facebook and Meta’s internal decisions to questions about democracy and corporate power.

The film revisits concerns about Instagram’s effects on teenagers’ mental health and Facebook’s role in spreading misinformation. Though reporting on Haugen’s warnings began in 2021, the movie connects those issues to continuing debates about Meta’s influence.

Musk film draws a response

Gibney’s documentary examines Musk’s past and asks why the public allowed him to gain influence within governments around the world. Musk has responded by threatening legal action against Gibney and calling the film a “hit piece,” according to the article.

X has blocked the documentary from being advertised on the platform. The article also says Musk’s ads were initially missing from other social media platforms, but its account ends mid-word while naming one of them.