I still hear that cold piano from The Social Network in my head. I love the pace. I love the smart, petty fights. I even love how mean it gets. One rainy Friday, I wanted that vibe again. So I made popcorn, grabbed a blanket, and went hunting (I wrote more about that chase in Chasing That Social Network Feeling if you’re curious).
For anyone mapping out their own marathon, this handy rundown of 10 Movies To Watch if You Love 'The Social Network' gave me a quick cheat sheet before I hit play on anything new.
Before we dive in, you can tap the like button to keep score of which titles spark your own hype.
Here’s what hit me, what missed, and what I’d press play on first.
What I watched when I wanted fast talk and sharp edges
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Steve Jobs (2015)
Three backstage showdowns. It’s tight, loud, and weirdly warm at times.
What I liked: Sorkin’s snap. The score hums. Fassbender cooks.
What bugged me: It feels like a stage play. Kinda cold. I paused twice to breathe. -
BlackBerry (2023)
Scrappy rise and messy fall. Handheld shots, cracked jokes, real ache.
What I liked: It feels true. It’s funny without winking. I missed my old Curve.
What bugged me: The last act sags if phones don’t thrill you. -
The Big Short (2015)
Not tech, but the same sharp bite. Finance bros, chaos, and smarts.
What I liked: It teaches while it yells. I laughed, then winced.
What bugged me: It’s a lot. I paused to Google terms. Twice. -
Moneyball (2011)
Data vs gut. Quiet ego wars with a box of stats.
What I liked: Soft burn. Brad Pitt gnaws on every scene.
What bugged me: If you don’t care about baseball, the stakes feel light. -
The Founder (2016)
McDonald’s, but as a knife fight in a suit.
What I liked: Clean shots. Keaton charms as a shark.
What bugged me: You might feel gross by the end. I did, a bit. -
Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
Apple vs Microsoft in a scrappy TV movie shell.
What I liked: Big drama, small budget. Early tech grit.
What bugged me: It looks dated. But that’s the flavor, honestly. -
Startup.com (2001, doc)
A real dot-com dream that crashes on camera.
What I liked: Raw and close. No gloss.
What bugged me: The sound is rough. I leaned in to hear. -
Margin Call (2011)
One long night in a glass tower. Tense, calm, scary.
What I liked: Crisp talk. Space to think.
What bugged me: Slow for some. I liked the slow burn. -
Shattered Glass (2003)
Lies, clout, and quick talk in a newsroom.
What I liked: Clean arc. Great faces.
What bugged me: Not tech, but the ethics sting the same. -
Tetris (2023)
A deal chase with 8-bit charm and Cold War fog.
What I liked: Bright, playful, quick.
What bugged me: Gets cheesy. I still smiled. -
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Greed turned up to 11. Loud, wild, and slick.
What I liked: The energy is insane.
What bugged me: Too long. I needed a nap after.
If you want that Sorkin snap
You know that fast, clean talk? The kind that makes you sit up?
- Start with Steve Jobs. It hits the same rhythm.
- Then watch Moneyball. It’s calmer, but still razor sharp.
I tossed lines back at the screen like I was in the room. Is that silly? Maybe. It was fun.
If you want the rise-and-fall rush
The Social Network feels like a sprint that ends with a bruise. If real-life platforms have left you bored, I tested a handful of alternatives to Facebook that actually worked and found a few gems.
- BlackBerry nails that arc. Scrappy hope, then a gut punch.
- The Founder gives you a smile, then a frown, then a long stare at your shake.
I ate cold pizza during BlackBerry and didn’t look down once. Grease on my fingers. Worth it.
If you want the moral itch
When the credits roll and you feel a little off? That itch.
- The Big Short makes you mad and teaches you stuff.
- Margin Call whispers and gets under your skin.
- Shattered Glass shows how a small lie grows teeth.
The same itch hit when I tried a supposedly “for doctors only” feed—here’s my blunt recap of that physician social network.
I paced my kitchen after Margin Call. Quiet movies can shout.
What surprised me
- Pirates of Silicon Valley still works. It’s clunky and bold. I kind of love that.
- Startup.com felt like an old home video. Painful, but honest. I wanted to hug the screen. Weird, I know.
- Earlier this year I even logged into a niche space and wrote about my time on a crossdressing social network—talk about unexpected character studies.
On that same late-night scroll I also fell into a tiny French cam collective where candid, body-positive daring is the currency; my eyebrow-raising recap, Je montre mon minou, unpacks how the site weaves intimacy, consent, and straight-up spectacle, giving you a peek at a wildly different brand of “social network” drama you might never have considered.
Tiny nitpicks that still matter
- Long runtimes wear me out. Looking at you, Wolf.
- Sound mixes on older docs can be rough.
- Some films worship the “genius.” I roll my eyes at that. People are people. Messy.
- Not every local-only platform lands; my honest take on a Dallas-only social network proves that vibe can be hit or miss.
My short list if you only pick three
- Steve Jobs — closest vibe match
- BlackBerry — best rise-and-fall punch
- The Big Short — smartest punch in the nose
If you want a calmer fourth, pick Moneyball. It’s like a deep breath, but with math.
Need an even deeper bench? I bookmarked this lineup of 14 Movies Like The Social Network You Definitely Need To See for my next rainy-weekend binge.
Final thought
The Social Network hums with ego and hurt. These films hum too, in their own way. Some bite, some whisper, some crack jokes while they steal your lunch.
I watched them across one long weekend. Rain, coffee, and too much popcorn. I don’t regret a minute. And if you’re looking for a corner of the internet that feels a bit kinder, my 30-day experiment on a Christian social media network might point you somewhere unexpected.
If you try one, tell me which line stuck with you. I’ve got a few circling my head even now.