‘The Social Reckoning’ Soundtrack Features New Music From Composer Alexandre Desplat

Alexandre Desplat has composed the original score for “The Social Reckoning,” which will be released on October 9. The film was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and features Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Bill Burr, and Jeremy Strong in its cast. Strong portrays Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a role that Jesse Eisenberg played in the 2010 film “The Social Network.” The drama is based on the true story of Frances Haugen (played by Madison), a former Facebook engineer, and Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (played by White). Their investigative reporting exposed the company’s internal research and decision-making processes. This reporting resulted in “The Facebook Files,” a 2021 series that uncovered Facebook’s negative impact on teenagers and its contribution to the spread of misinformation, including content tied to political violence.

For this recording, Desplat gathered a full orchestra at the John Williams Scoring Stage at Sony Pictures Studios. The score spans a wide symphonic range, shifting seamlessly from quiet character moments to sweeping dramatic passages. “When I first read Aaron Sorkin’s script, I was taken aback by the sophistication of his writing,” Desplat remarked. “The dialogue is integral to this film. The language ended up being more important to this score than any other music I’ve ever written. The greatest challenge was finding the rhythm between their voices and performances, to find the right moment for music to join the actors in the scene.” His composition delves into the conflicting forces that propel the film’s story: bravery and uncertainty, confidence and doubt, personal sacrifice and public duty.

The score’s emotional core is a musical depiction of Haugen, whose transformation from employee to whistleblower provides the film’s emotional foundation. Using themes that blend fragility with resolve, Desplat’s music traces a character grappling with tough decisions before ultimately following her conscience. Two tracks from the score, debuting exclusively through Variety, are available to hear below: “The Lament” (featuring Renée Fleming) and “The Social Reckoning.” The full track list for “The Social Reckoning” is included below.

Alexandre Desplat, a French composer born in 1961, is known for scores such as “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “The Shape of Water,” both of which earned him Academy Awards. His work on “The Social Reckoning” continues a celebrated career marked by a fusion of orchestral depth and emotional subtlety. The film’s focus on whistleblowing and corporate responsibility reflects ongoing public discussions about technology ethics—an issue that has become even more urgent since the 2021 revelations. As one industry expert noted, “Desplat’s ability to mirror complex moral landscapes through music makes him uniquely suited for a project like this, where the stakes are both personal and global.”