It goes without saying the hold social media has on society today. While Hollywood has stamped its flair for fictional dramatized tales of the digital landscape, some stories are still plausible. From social media sleuthing to straight-up stalking and all the unnerving data collection in between, these features demonstrate our phones and favorite platforms’ proper hold on our lives.
Today, the question of online authenticity remains more prominent than it has ever before. What’s curated, and what’s not? What’s an algorithm? What’s a coincidence? Social media continues to fuel inspiration for movies, documentaries, and TV series (Black Mirror is wickedly terrifying), enthralling viewers who believe “That probably doesn’t happen”—spoiler alert, it does. While the power of social media isn’t all bad, there are plenty of cautionary tales to remind audiences otherwise.
1. Nerve
Before Tik Tok, there was Nerve. In this online game of truth-or-dare, there are the “players” who complete challenges and tasks for money and prizes, and then there are the “watchers,” the anonymous community behind the screens composing the dares. The game is played worldwide and has proven to have devastating and sometimes life-destroying consequences for players that lose.
This 2016 thriller starred Emma Roberts and Dave Franco as Vee and Ian, two players paired up by the watchers who compete as a team to try and win Nerve. It’s highly dramatized—and the ending is a little out there—but it’s an entertaining demonstration of how far down the rabbit hole social media goes.
2. Searching
If there’s one thing this generation of social media addicts loves, it’s true crime sleuthing. This is the film for that audience. While fictional, Searching is the perfect example of how possible it could be to solve a disappearance using social media and the contents of a laptop.
A modern found footage style, this thriller stars John Cho as David Kim, a widowed father whose teen daughter—Margot—goes missing. The story is told through David and Margot’s Apple devices, Cloud accounts, and social media as he searches to piece together her disappearance.
3. Eighth Grade
Delightfully cringe, writer/director Bo Burnham places audiences in the uncomfortable circumstances of an eighth-grade girl trying to fit in. Introverted Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher) spends her last week of middle school endlessly scrolling and posting to social media as she attempts to gain positive attention from her popular peers.
Released in 2018, Eighth Grade posed Kayla in an interesting position as social media became increasingly part of the tween daily life pre-pandemic. Instead of accepting herself for who she is, social media influences her to be anything but as she tries to fit the mold.
4. Disconnect
A dramatic thriller you may have missed but will be glad you found, Disconnect features a star-studded cast including Jason Bateman, Frank Grillo, Alexander Skarsgård, and Max Thieriot. With slow-weaving plots, multiple characters attempt to navigate the dark side of the internet in search of real connections as themes of cyberbullying, identity theft, and exploitation complicate their lives.
While it premiered in the earlier days of social media and the evolving internet, one of its highlighted quotes, “Everything you do, someone out there can see,” still rings true today at an even scarier level. Disconnect is an excellent cinematic example of social media’s impact on a person’s life.
5. Not Okay
Appealing to Gen Z and millennials’ overwhelming sensations of imposter syndrome and FOMO (fear of missing out), this Hulu original is a prime example of the power of social media and when it goes wrong. Zoey Deutch stars as Danni, a young woman with no social or romantic life, which equates to having no followers. After faking a social media-worthy trip to Paris, her ruse to gain followers quickly backfires after a deadly attack occurs during this “trip” and poses Danni as a surviving victim.
The desperation for social relevance paired with a classic “caught-in-a-lie” tale makes Not Okay an anxiety-inducing movie that is—unfortunately—relatable for many of the social media generation. It demonstrates the quicksand trap of social media when users are so desperate for attention.
6. Love Hard
Despite the overwhelmingly adverse effects of social media, there are some silver linings to its power, as depicted in this rom-com. In a tale of Christmas catfishing, Nina Dobrev stars as Natalie, an LA girl who matches with a guy named Josh on a dating app. After falling deeply for him, she decides on a whim to surprise him for the holidays, only to discover that Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) isn’t who his profile depicted him to be.
Social media is all about constant real-time connection, and dating apps are no exception. Netflix capitalized on viewers’ knowledge (and possible experience) of online dating catfishing and produced this light-hearted holiday love story. It’s the timeless reminder that people on the internet aren’t always who they say they are.
7. The Social Network
In this dramatic retelling of the creation of Facebook, viewers look inside at how the foundation for one of the largest social media platforms came to be. Jesse Eisenberg stars as Mark Zuckerberg while the movie is told through flashbacks as Zuckerberg answers questions during a lawsuit deposition.
For any viewer interested in the power of social media, The Social Network is an excellent example of how greed exists not only inside these platforms but was established from its very beginning. David Fincher directs the movie based on the book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich. The brilliant Aaron Sorkin penned the screenplay.
8. Chef
What’s a feel-good drama without a bit of transformation and a positive spin on social media? Written and directed by Jon Favreau, he stars as Carl, a head chef who quits his job and starts operating a food truck, building back his culinary creative spark and passion for family along the way. Chef‘s sole focus is not on social media, but social media plays a prominent role in catalyst moments for the characters.
From a bad Twitter review leading to a viral video to building a brand through an online presence, this dramedy reveals the balancing act required to appreciate social media’s good and bad values. As portrayed here, social media can come full circle and be transformative in a positive way.
9. Ready Player One
Not readily classified as an installment in the social media genre of movies, this page-to-screen adaptation is still relevant to the conversation. Based on the 2011 sci-fi novel by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One depicts a futuristic world where social media and virtual reality have consumed society to a point where the OASIS, a virtual reality world and game, controls the very structure of society. Players are hungry to find the creator’s Easter Egg, winning a fortune and control of OASIS.
With advancements in VR technology, the Metaverse, and creating an alternate digital persona, Ready Player One isn’t so fictional. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this sci-fi action movie is worth the watch if you dare to see what alternate reality could look like in the not-so-distant future.
10. The Tinder Swindler
Audiences wished that this documentary was a fictional farse, but sadly it is the alleged true tale of the dangers of dating apps. Written and directed by Felicity Morris, this Netflix original documents the accounts of multiple women who fell victim to an attractive scam artist posing as a wealthy diamond tycoon who ultimately conned them out of millions of dollars.
Nominated for five Primetime Emmy’s this doc is an unfortunate cautionary tale that almost everything on social media can be carefully curated and used to manipulate those who fall into its trap. A must-see, The Tinder Swindler will have you thinking twice before swiping right.
11. Cyber Bully
This TV movie is the perfect throwback to the beginning days of social media and the suspicion of its dangers if left unchecked. Disney Channel star Emily Osment portrays a high schooler named Taylor whose life turns upside down when someone starts spreading false rumors about her online.
Taylor’s mental health begins to decline as the online bullying escalates, and there continues to be a lack of consequences for those involved. It takes audiences back to the days of Myspace and the fictional platforms Hollywood created to mimic it in movies. What played out in this ABC Family movie was grim but pales compared to the advanced detriment of today’s online bullying.
12. Unfriended
As if social media wasn’t terrifying enough, Hollywood found a way to incorporate it into a horror movie. Told through the found footage style perspective of an online video chatroom, a group of teens is tormented by an unknown user who is communicating with them through the account of their deceased friend.
Found footage has evolved from the days of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, now leaning into the social media perspective. As if getting hacked or cyberattacked wasn’t enough, adding a supernatural element to a social media account made the internet scarier.
13. Ingrid Goes West
Fair warning to those that post the most intimate, specific details of their lives online. After discovering Taylor (Elizabeth Olsen) on Instagram, Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) becomes obsessed and a full-on stalker, moving to LA to integrate herself into Taylor’s life. Unsuspecting, Taylor invites Ingrid into her circle in a meet-cute frenemy style. Once there, Ingrid discovers that Taylor’s life isn’t really what it appears on Instagram.
Ingrid can embed herself in Taylor’s world by putting the pieces together from tags and locations in her posts. Mild compared to some of the horror stories of social media stalking, Ingrid Goes West is still comedically unsettling.
14. Don’t Look Up
There’s a lot to unpack in this movie, not just about social media but about media and information spreading in general. In a satire from the mind of Adam McKay, two astronomers discover a comet that will destroy Earth; however, as they attempt to warn civilization, a media storm ensues where no one seems to be taking it seriously.
From the misinformation spreading to the viral videos, Don’t Look Up is meant to parallel the current political climate surrounding climate change. With instant, unlimited information in the palms over everyone’s hands across so many platforms, this movie challenges audiences–among other things—to be mindful of what may or may not be accurate, depending on the source.
15. A Simple Favor
This film leveraged the power of real-life social media to create hype and anticipation around the upcoming release. Starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, the mystery story centers around Stephanie (Kendrick), a single mom with a vlog, as she recounts her friendship with her now-missing friend Emily (Lively). The story plays out through flashbacks and real-time investigation.
The marketing team behind the film’s release took advantage of social media’s hold on viewers and created a hands-on experience leading up to the release. Lively temporarily removed her Instagram account and followed an account with the same name as her character. Fans eagerly navigated various accounts and clues to become detectives searching for Emily.
16. Love, Guaranteed
Surprisingly a Netflix original and not a Hallmark Channel special, audiences streamed this middle-of-the-road rom-com about a man suing a dating website after he fails to find love and the struggling lawyer who agrees to the case to save her practice. You can see where this is going.
It isn’t a high-level, thought-provoking feature film commenting on the cons of the digital landscape. Still, it does present an interesting discussion on the addictive reliance society formed on social media. We place our entire lives in the hands of algorithms and hashtags, including our chance at love.
17. Missing
With the editing team and a co-writer of Searching comes another social media found footage thriller. If you compare the movie posters side-by-side, one would think it’s a series, but these are two different stories. This time, June (Storm Reid) is out to find her missing mother, Grace (Nia Long), after she fails to return from a vacation in Columbia.
Given the popularity of Searching, Missing is a similar rinse-and-repeat-style feature of internet sleuthing when the authorities fail to find the answers. But it works. Critics and audiences took no issue with the copy-paste and praised the thriller.
18. Spree
“If you’re not documenting yourself, you just don’t exist.” — With chilling truth to this movie’s quote, Spree features the downward spiral of a rideshare driver as he is determined to go viral no matter how twisted and violent the path may lead. Stranger Things‘s Joe Keery is haunting as the movie’s antagonistic protagonist Kurt.
Audiences view Kurt’s increasingly disturbing behavior as if they are followers watching his channel and social accounts. It’s innovative filmmaking but also hits too close to home in an age where live-streaming every single encounter isn’t always a positive experience.
19. Mainstream
Beloved in the cinematic world, who would’ve thought Andrew Garfield could play an unlikeable character? He doesn’t disappoint in this social media satire about a trio of characters struggling to maintain their identities in the fast-paced influencing age.
Mainstream, although not as brilliant as it could’ve been, touches on the facts that personalities on YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, or whatever platform are carefully curated and, more often than not, are unauthentic and performative. Garfield’s performance is cringe-worthy to the point of accuracy, as we’ve all seen an online personality similar to Link’s.
20. The Circle
Privacy and anonymity do not exist at The Circle. Mae (Emma Watson) believes she’s landed her dream job at the acclaimed tech company, The Circle, but soon she discovers that more shocking agendas will affect society’s structure. With convincing performances from its star-studded cast that includes Tom Hanks, John Boyega, and Karen Gillan, this sci-fi drama is unsettling in every way possible.
Despite its heavy-hitting cast and timely plot, The Circle misses the mark on thoroughly having thought-provoking commentary; however, it presents the conversation of ethics in social media, data collection, and data privacy in a world with rapidly advancing technology.
21. R#J
This would be their story if Romeo and Juliet had existed as Gen Z-ers. In this retelling of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo, a.k.a @roamrome (Camaron Engels), and Juliet, a.k.a. @jewelz (Francesca Noel), carry out their relationship primarily online, rarely meeting outside of the digital world.
Described as a desktop film, R#J utilizes DMs, social media posts, varying aspect ratios, and more to tell their story. A swing for director Carey Williams’ first feature film, it doesn’t quite land. Still, it does pose an interesting conversation about how social media has evolved into a medium for cinematic storytelling.
22. The Social Dilemma
In another unsettling documentary about the horrors of the addictive online world, Netflix explores the technology behind social media and the psychological manipulation designed to hook users. Tech experts formerly holding positions at Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and more weigh in on the calculated realities of the digital age.
Seemingly the stuff of a science-fiction movie, the revelations in this documentary are not made-up. It’s enough to pause anyone’s doom-scrolling behaviors long enough to take a good hard look at the effects and collective power of the internet and social media.
