Film Snail

7.5

The Social Dilemma

PG-13·2020·94m

Documentary

Drama

Documentary

Drama

Summary

This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.

Cast

Tristan Harris

Self

Jeff Seibert

Self

Bailey Richardson

Self

Joe Toscano

Self

Sandy Parakilas

Self

Guillaume Chaslot

Self

Lynn Fox

Self

Aza Raskin

Self

Alex Roetter

Self

Tim Kendall

Self

Justin Rosenstein

Self

Randy Fernando

Self

Jaron Lanier

Self

Roger McNamee

Self

Shoshana Zuboff

Self

Anna Lembke

Self

James Fetter

Self

Mary Fetter

Self

Jonathan Haidt

Self

Cathy O'Neil

Self

Rashida Richardson

Self

Renée DiResta

Self

Cynthia M. Wong

Self

Skyler Gisondo

Ben

Kara Hayward

Cassandra

Vincent Kartheiser

Advertising A.I. / Engagement A.I. / Growth A.I.

Sophia Hammons

Isla

Barbara Gehring

Mom

Chris Grundy

Step-Dad

Sergio Villarreal

Luiz

Catalina Garayoa

Rebecca

Sheevani Desai

Teacher

Emi Zerr

Ben's Ex-Girlfriend

Jason Potter

Vlogger

Korey David

Vlogger

Laurence Curry

Vlogger

Vic Alejandro

Police Officer

Oner Asir

Police Officer

Kristina Fountaine

Police Officer

Chase Penny

Police Officer

Carlos Leos

Stunt Protester

Adam S. Ford

Stunt Protester

Jade Ryin

Anonymous Coder

Skye Folsom

Skyler Gisondo Body Double

Richard Lucchese

Vincent Kartheiser Body Double

Reza Nosrati

Vincent Kartheiser Body Double

Hannah Vail

High School Student (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Writer

Jeff Orlowski

Writer

Davis Coombe

Writer

Vickie Curtis

Reviews

corrcorr

January 7, 2021

This documentary thinks it's real cute. You may learn a thing or two, but a lot of the time it feels manipulative and self-righteous.

I wish that, instead of portraying the mechanisms of ad-targeting as some kind of sci-fi super villain, they would have shown what truly goes on in the offices of google, facebook, and the like. The evils of manipulating human attention do not need to be sensationalized to look like something out of Tron or Blade Runner. Why not film the actual computer screens that are spitting back data about users of these platforms? Perhaps internet giants would not let cameras behind the scenes.

Anyhow, this film has a noble goal but comes across as more dime-a-dozen infotainment that Netflix has pumped out many times before. Maybe if it did not treat its viewers as though they were brain dead I would have enjoyed it more. Show it to your tik tok friends who could lose a staring contest with a squirrel, as that is likely who this documentary is targeted for.