Andrew Garfield can do it all. He’s been a war hero, a Jesuit priest, a superhero, a loving dad, and a neurotic YouTube star. Yet, he’s still largely overlooked when the topic is his generation’s best actors. 4k5p1a

The 41-year-old Los Angeles native has been acting since he was 21 and has since built a career that spans the screen, big or small, and the stage, with equal charm and precision. With two Oscar nominations, one Emmy nomination, and one Tony win under his belt, he’s already on the path to EGOT greatness. His CV is as rich as it is entertaining, but for this article, we’re narrowing it down to his ten best on-screen performances.

10. The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) 2j5e5e

Garfield plays evangelist Jim Bakker in this Tammy Faye Bakker biopic led by an Oscar-winning turn from Jessica Chastain. The film takes from the 2000 documentary of the same name, tracing the couple’s rise to fame as the heads of the world’s biggest religious broadcasting network as well as their fall from grace at the hands of scandal.

9. Mainstream (2021) 334h3f

Mainstream is perhaps the most divisive entry to this list. Garfield plays Link an eccentric man who is turned into a YouTube star by Maya Hawke’s filmmaker character. Link is a hit, a view and subscription magnet, but the self-feeding nature of social media soon leads the duo to take things too far for the sake of content. It’s a chaotic film satirizing influencers that dances, dizzily, between brilliance and failure.

8. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) a6046

Andrew Garfield’s take on the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has been experiencing a renaissance ever since the actor reprised the role in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Although his Peter Parker didn’t get much of a fighting chance, the power of hindsight has crowned Garfield’s performance, which perfectly mixed awkwardness, cocky, and vulnerability, as arguably the best iteration of the character.

7. Under the Silver Lake (2018) 3o3u6b

We use the expression “ahead of its time” too often, but it certainly applies to 2018’s Under the Silver Lake, where Garfield shares the screen with another underrated talent — Riley Keough. This surrealist black comedy will take you on the trip of your life, all while deconstructing and satirizing the Hollywood-centric conspiracy theories that have imbued pop culture for a century.

6. Hacksaw Ridge (2016) 3c5x2d

Hacksaw Ridge earned Garfield his first Oscar nomination in 2017, and for good reason. The Brit-American actor is powerful in this depiction of Desmond Doss, a World War II United States Army Corporal who refused to carry a weapon when he ed the front as a medic. Like most war movies favored by the Academy, you will find bravery and drama in spades in this one.

5. We Live in Time (2024) 2d5z6n

Considering how magnetic Garfield was opposite Emma Stone in TASM, there’s a surprising lack of romance in his filmography. Thankfully 2024’s We Live in Time has come to fix this oversight. This brilliant, beautiful look at a decade’s worth of a couple’s relationship with Florence Pugh playing the 41-year-old’s other half, will make you laugh, sob, and reevaluate your life.

4. Under the Banner of Heaven (2022) 5ri3b

Religion seems to be more or less of a theme in Garfield’s filmography, but his Emmy-nominated turn in Under the Banner of Heaven is a particularly striking look at a faithful man at odds with his beliefs. Created by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, this FX limited series depicts the real-life investigation into the murder of Mormon housewife Brenda Lafferty and her baby. Garfield plays Detective Jeb Pyre, who shares in the Mormon faith of the victims.

3. Silence (2016) 1n6l5r

Following in the themes of disillusionment in and criticism of religion, Martin Scorsese’s Silence stars Garfield as a Portuguese Jesuit priest who, ed by Adam Driver in a similar role, searches for Liam Neeson’s Cristóvão Ferreira in 17th century Japan. This historical epic is loaded with detail, philosophical questions, and violence, with Garfield’s character acting as its moral com.

2. Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021) 57653e

Garfield’s second Oscar nomination came with another biopic, this time about Jonathan Larson who wrote Rent and Tick, Tick… Boom! before dying suddenly at 35. This Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed musical is vibrant, bold, and heartfelt, and features the actor in his first-ever singing role for which he practiced over the course of a year.

1. The Social Network (2010) 1d5855

Known as one of the greatest films of the 21st century, David Fincher’s The Social Network was a break-out role for Garfield who plays the Eduardo Saverin to Jesse Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg in this Facebook origin story. Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin transform the story of the world’s pioneering social media into one of friendship, betrayal, and loneliness.

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With its haunting score and whip-smart dialogue, The Social Network is a masterclass in storytelling. Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, the film takes viewers down to the depths of human emotion.

And it does it all while telling the mostly true story of Mark Zuckerberg. Played with equal parts gravitas and dry humor, Jesse Eisenberg was the perfect actor for the role. He is ed in the film by Andrew Garfield who, regrettably, received no Academy Awards for this role as co-founder of Facebook, Eduardo Saverin. A classic story of betrayal, The Social Network resonates on several levels. But parents may want to examine the film further if they are considering showing it to their children.

Is The Social Network child appropriate? 4t6d5e

On the surface, The Social Network can appear to be pretty innocuous. Rated PG-13, the film has a smattering of course language, implied sexual content, with very few frightening situations. And while it may depend on your child’s age and maturity level, it is best to proceed with this film with caution. Sexual content is considered mild, but there are some intense and borderline graphic depictions of it.

Most notable is a scene between Eduardo and his girlfriend, Christy (Brenda Song). As they are hooking up in a public bathroom stall, it is implied they are engaging in oral sex. Later, the event is further referenced to a erby. Power dynamics are also a cause for slight alarm in the film. Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) is a shareholder in Facebook, and intends to sleep with a young intern who is under 21. Many women are also used for their physical attributes, with many being shipped in on buses to cater to the more powerful. They are shown drinking and stripping in a party scene.

The Social Network also features illegal drug use. Characters engage in smoking from a bong to such an excessive degree that another character has to point it out. Later in the film, characters use cocaine while snorting it off a girl in her underwear. While not illicit, the film also deals with heavy topics that some may not be prepared to engage with. Manipulation and betrayal are themes that the film meditates on. The most aggressive scene shows a young woman lighting a scarf on fire which threatens to burn down her partner’s apartment. Though it is at the parents’ discretion whether to show this film to their children, there is no doubt there are many mature elements, so take it under advisement.

Let’s set the scene. The year is 2010. Industry professionals David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin have ed creative forces to weave together a compelling narrative based on a true story. Nine Inch Nails musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross develop a haunting score. The result: The Social Network. The drama about Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook fires on all cylinders, from dialogue, to editing, to casting. Oh yeah, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield are in leading roles where they demonstrate dark complexity to their characters.

The Social Network is a modern classic that takes on themes of ambition and betrayal, all wrapped up in a real-life story about one of the richest people in America who just had to have it all. Even better — the film has only become more topical with age. The more troubles Zuckerberg encounters with data privacy the more obvious it is that The Social Network was a true villain origin story. Arguably one of Fincher’s best-produced films to date, viewers should not sleep on this gem wherever they can find it.

Where is The Social Network streaming? 2x68z

The most accessible way to access this drama is through an HBO Max subscription. Currently, The Social Network is available to stream via the platform. The film is also available to rent or buy digitally on your preferred platform of choice. Viewers can experience the iconic lines and cutting soundtrack from the comfort of their own homes.

Almost a decade and a half following its release, The Social Network still stands the test of time. This isn’t just because of the partnership between Fincher and Sorkin which was a match made in feature film Nirvana, but the strength of its performances. Eisenberg pulls off the measured tone and dry humor of Mark, but the real performer of the film is Garfield as the co-creator of Facebook. Eduardo Saverin follows his best friend down to the deepest circle of hell of Dante’s Inferno only to realize too late what he has done. Mark trades his friendship with Eduardo for fame and fortune, making Garfield’s performance the center of the film. When Eduardo finally confronts Mark in the Facebook offices stating, “you better lawyer up,” it is a moment well earned.

Come awards season, The Social Network took home several accolades, but no Academy Awards for Garfield. An oversight to be sure, but his performance will always speak for itself. Viewers can watch this masterpiece on HBO Max or video on demand.

For many millennials, Macaulay Culkin is an underrated national treasure. From his boyhood roles in Home Alone and My Girl to his brief independent work as an adult, it is about time that the actor has gotten his due. And he did, with the moment becoming all the more iconic because he had his special someone in attendance, cheering him on.

In 2023, the pop culture icon received it when he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Catherine O’Hara, his onscreen other from Home Alone, spoke warmly about her costar as he took to the podium for his speech. Culkin was accompanied by two of his siblings, but the most significant person in attendance was his fiance, Brenda Song. The two reportedly got engaged in 2022 and have two children together. During his speech, Culkin gave his partner an emotional tribute that brought many to tears.

“You’re not only the best woman I’ve ever known, you’re the best person I’ve ever known. You’ve given me just all my purpose, you’ve given me family and after the birth of our two boys, you’ve become one of my three favorite people.”

Though the two try to stay out of the limelight to live their lives privately, both have become recognizable faces in their respective arenas.

Who is Brenda Song? 1c132d

While Culkin was blazing a trail on the big screen in his youth, Song did the same on the Disney Channel. The performer started modeling at only 6 years old and quickly turned her attention to acting. Though she had many roles at that point, her big break came in the Disney series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The series starred the famous twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse as two brothers living in the Tipton Hotel suite. For her part, Song played London Tipton, the spoiled daughter of the hotel’s owner. Also starring Disney Channel star, Ashley Tisdale, the series was a jumping-off point for many actors early in their careers.

Song has mainly stuck to television with roles in Station 19, Scandal, and Superstore. She also lends her voice to many animated projects. But it was in David Fincher’s 2010 dark biopic, The Social Network, where the actor truly played a character that was the complete opposite of her usual roles. Written by legendary wordsmith, Aaron Sorkin, and scored by Fincher’s frequent collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the film was no ordinary biopic.

Firing on all cylinders, it was a dark indictment of the creator of Facebook that gets increasingly relevant as time goes on and had Song in the substantial role of Christy, Eduardo Saverin’s (Andrew Garfield) unstable girlfriend. First meeting Eduardo when Facebook was getting off the ground, Christy’s increasing paranoia and jealousy soon put added pressure on her boyfriend, who is getting ousted from the company. Sometimes comedic and oftentimes terrifying, Song’s performance in the film was one for the books.

Though she keeps her ventures lowkey presently, she has been part of some integral entries in pop culture, primarily Scandal, Hulu’s Dollface, and featuring in the lauded horror video game The Quarry in 2022.

Sony’s Madame Web has finally blessed us with a trailer, and Dakota Johnson looks pretty impressive. The clairvoyant heroine will be on the big screen, come Valentine’s Day, 2024.

While she’s previously tackled comedy, drama, erotica, and horror, it was only a matter of time before Dakota Johnson tried her hand at the superhero genre. Moreover, she’s succeeded in both large and small productions for over two decades. As interest in Madame Web rises, it’s always worth enjoying some of her best work so far.

10. Ben and Kate (2012) a3o6e

Nat Faxon and Dakota Johnson star as Ben and Kate Fox in this family drama. Circumstances lead to these polar opposite siblings moving in together, resulting in a heartwarming show about familial love. Though the show was canceled after one season, it was positively received, with audiences praising the actors and writers for the vulnerability of the characters. 

9. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) 456s1j

Adapted from E.L. James’ bestselling novel, Fifty Shades of Grey follows Anastasia Steele, a shy almost-graduate who meets and falls for Christian Grey, a powerful but mysterious businessman. As they grow closer, Christian introduces Ana to the world of BDSM. Although critics didn’t love it, audiences absolutely loved it, hence its box office success. The first movie in the franchise was especially a fan favorite. 

8. A Bigger Splash (2016) 3g441p

Luca Guadagnino’s psychological thriller follows a rockstar and her boyfriend who take a holiday on an Italian island. Their peace is disturbed when an old lover of hers and his daughter (Johnson) show up at the villa as well. This results in rising tensions and conflicts. Johnson and the rest of the cast were praised for their ability to portray complex characters whose motives are slowly revealed. 

7.  Suspiria (2018) 44251h

In her second project with Luca Guadagnino, Johnson absolutely shines in the horror film, Suspiria. She stars as Susie, an American dancer who s a German dance academy that is, unbeknownst to her, run by a coven of witches. The series of events that follow lead to Susie having to fight for her life. Johnson was praised for the execution of her dancing after rigorous training. She also earned acclaim for her incredible emotive performance. 

6. The High Note (2020) 446o2h

Dakota Johnson stars alongside Tracee Ellis Ross as Maggie, the longtime assistant of a superstar who also harbors dreams of becoming a music producer. The heartwarming movie follows the two as they navigate their relationship with each other, as well as the music industry. Audiences enjoyed the movie for its potential as a re-watchable comfort movie and praised both Johnson and Ross for their chemistry. 

5. Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) 34i6a

Drew Goddard’s period thriller stars an ensemble cast, including: Johnson, Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Chris Hemsworth, and Lewis Pullman. It follows six strangers who find themselves at the mysterious El Royale Hotel on a night in the 60s. Johnson’s character, Emily, is a seemingly fun-loving hippie, but she has dark secrets of her own. The versatility of her acting chops was on full display here, as the character’s duality was captured brilliantly. 

4. 21 Jump Street (2012) 4b6l2

The 2012 adaptation of the 1987 series follows Morton Schmidt and Greg Jenko, played by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, two police officers who are sent on an undercover mission in a high school to catch a drug dealer. Here, Johnson plays a minor role as Fugazy, another undercover cop posing as a drug dealer. Despite her limited screen time, she was able to match the humor and tone of the comedy movie. 

3. Our Friend (2019) 1c2q5o

Our Friend is a heart-wrenching drama that follows a couple, Matt and Nicole, whose best friend moves in when they discover that Nicole has a terminal illness. Dakota Johnson plays the role of Nicole and imbues her with heart and life, even as she slowly dies on screen. The central themes of the movie, such as loyalty and friendship, are perfectly portrayed by the cast in this tear-jerking tale of family and love. 

2. The Social Network (2010) 5kz44

This semi-biographical drama details the formation of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield star as Zuckerberg and Saverin respectively, while Johnson stars as Amelia Ritter, a student of Stanford who slept with Sean Ritter, another player in the founding of Facebook. Though her role was small, she was memorable enough in the Golden Globe-winning film.

1. The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) 4v2w6u

Starring Shia LaBeouf, Johnson, and Zack Gottsagen, this deeply touching movie follows a man with Down syndrome who dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. This ambition leads to him escaping his care facility and embarking on a road trip to meet his wrestling idol alongside his caretaker (Johnson) and a stranger they meet on the way. The movie was widely beloved by audiences for its strong performances by all the leads.

For whatever reason, it seems like 2023 in particular saw a deluge of biopics about the origins of brands, such as Air and BlackBerry. But what are the best brand true story movies of all time?

It’s strange to think that a movie about a brand could carve itself out as a prominent subgenre of film. After all, we don’t go to the movies to watch an elongated ment. However, there can be so much more to a story about how a product or service is discovered or founded than simply being a shill for the brand itself. Often underlying these narratives is genuine human drama, such as the compelling and familiar arc of a rags-to-riches story, found in movies like Joy and Flamin’ Hot.

On the flip side, sometimes true stories about brands are about the devastating personal or financial downfall of the people behind familiar products. For instance, BlackBerry traces the meteoric rise and subsequent crash of the world’s first smartphone with a satirical bent. Movies such as Steve Jobs and The Social Network ruminate on the socially isolated figureheads behind tech giants Apple and Facebook. And House of Gucci recounts a murder plot that tore the family fashion business asunder.

Without further delay, here are the best brand true story movies that have resonated well with both critics and audiences, ranked from worst to best.

10. Joy (2015) 115t29

Nowadays, self-wringing mops are so common that we don’t necessarily associate them with a brand name. However, the first product of this type was called the Miracle Mop and it was invented by Joy Mangano, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy. The comedy/drama is feather-light in tone, all things considered, which may be why it didn’t necessarily blow critics out of the water, though many praised it. Even still, Lawrence’s performance as a single mother struggling financially who has a eureka moment that sets her family on a path to true stability is quite inspiring to watch and it even garnered her an Academy Award nomination for her efforts.

9. House of Gucci (2021) 332o2

House of Gucci may not have been the prestige Oscar-bait film it was setting out to be, (although the hair and makeup team was nominated) but there’s still a lot to like about the star-studded true crime story. Catching most of the praise from audiences and critics alike is Lady Gaga‘s performance as Patrizia Reggiani, a woman who married into the Gucci family only to turn the clan on its head with her blind ambition.

8. Flamin’ Hot (2023) 3tf3r

Flamin’ Hot scores major points for being a mostly family-friendly (PG-13) take on the brand origin story that doesn’t hold back on being both heartwarming and inspiring. Centering on the true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), we can’t help but root for his journey from a mere janitor at Frito Lay with not even a high school diploma to becoming an executive at the company thanks to his ingenious invention of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. The film is cheesy, true to its subject matter, but it has a lot of entertainment value, especially for its representation of Mexican heritage since the chili dust-covered snack was inspired by Richard’s culturally rich eats.

7. The Founder (2016) 711o36

Anchored by Michael Keaton‘s confident performance as McDonald’s founder Ray Croc, fresh off of his career renaissance and Oscar nomination for Birdman one year prior, The Founder is the surprisingly frank take on the origins of America’s most famous fast food chain. The sheer ambition of Ray is something mesmerizing to watch even as we understand he operates in morally gray territory to make his dreams a reality, often at the expense of others. This includes Ray giving the original McDonald’s brothers, played wonderfully by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, the short end of a business deal. Ray took the McDonald’s brothers’ ideas and the original restaurant that incorporated rapid kitchen operations and expanded them into an entire franchise that has now dominated and defined the fast-food business around the world.

6. Tetris (2023) 733j27

Tetris traces the story of how a video game in Soviet Russia found its way to Western audiences while the Cold War was still in full effect. The sociopolitical climate of the times made licensing and patenting the game for wholesale a significant challenge that was overcome thanks to businessman Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) and inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) teaming up. Like many entries on this list, fictional creative flourishes from Hollywood were added to raise the tension in the story, such as the insertion of a car chase that did not happen. Nevertheless, it’s fascinating to watch a movie version of the behind-the-scenes dealings that made the unlikely scenario of Nintendo’s Game Boy launching with a bundled cartridge of Tetris, thanks in large part to the sure-handed direction of Jon S. Baird. The events seen in the film eventually helped to kick off a worldwide gaming craze that hasn’t slowed down since.

5. Dumb Money (2023) 315069

If you’re looking for a few belly laughs from a cast full of comedic heavyweights like Pete Davidson, Nick Offerman, Seth Rogen, centered by a humanistic and smile-inducing performance by Paul Dano as the ultimate underdog, Dumb Money is the film for you. With impeccable-as-usual direction by I, Tonya‘s Craig Gillespie and a rollicking script by Lauren Shuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, Dumb Money traces the peak-pandemic tale of how people on Reddit blew up the stock for the video game store Game Stop, with some financially struggling internet dwellers becoming rich in the process. The only downside is that the fat cats at Wall Street, who were betting on Game Stop’s failure, step in to stop the shenanigans of these amateur stock traders.

4. Air (2023) 4a1i1j

Air has garnered some of the highest acclaim for any movie in 2023 thanks to the film being fueled by 1980s nostalgia, glib dialogue, and a packed cast that includes director and star Ben Affleck, his longtime collaborator Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, and Chris Tucker. The fact-based story about how a Nike executive landed a business deal with the then-unknown basketball superstar Michael Jordan (Damian Young) surprisingly has very little of the famous athlete in the film. Nevertheless, the fast-paced business dealings of Nike that culminated in their now worldwide famous shoe brand, Air Jordan, is a wildly entertaining ride that deserves all the praise it’s received.

3. BlackBerry (2023) 4v5c3h

Taking the brand biopic format and using it as a vehicle for satirizing the tech industry is the approach of the acclaimed BlackBerry, the origin story of the world’s first smartphone that dominated the market it created from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. The comedy-drama is anchored by fine performances from an unhinged Glenn Howerton and his business partner, played by Jay Baruchel. Though it plays fast and loose with the facts, BlackBerry still proved a deliriously fun ride for critics and audiences alike. The story traces both the company’s rise to the top and its catastrophic downfall at the hands of the device that would prove unbeatable in popularity, the iPhone. Speaking of Apple…

2. Steve Jobs (2015) 1604u

Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs shouldn’t work on paper, but in practice, he is sublime as the enigmatic figurehead behind tech giant Apple, thanks in large part to breath-taking direction from Danny Boyle and a typically riveting script by Aaron Sorkin. The film is full of facts and the broad strokes of Jobs’ life while still playing with chronology to tell a concise story. Rather than a womb-to-tomb biopic, the various ups and downs of Apple and Jobs’ personal life fraught with estrangement from his own family gets condensed into just three separate product launches at three disparate periods of time. The result is like watching a play of sorts with some world-class performances from not only Fassbender but co-stars Kate Winslet and Seth Rogen. Sticking with Sorkin…

1. The Social Network (2010) 1d5855

The Social Network is truly one of those once-in-a-lifetime type movies, thanks to a perfect tsunami of talent coming together in just the perfect way to create cinematic gold. In the director’s chair is someone more known for his thrillers and modern noir films, like Fight Club and Se7en, David Fincher. The moody atmosphere he creates against the backdrop of a wild college ride resembling an out-of-control frat party might take some liberties with the truth in its tale of the founding of Facebook. However, it still captures a certain essence of digital loneliness in our modern age that’s somehow universally relatable.

Jesse Eisenberg as the overnight billionaire himself, Mark Zuckerberg, gives a career-best performance, with Sorkin’s script shining most of all. Taking a Rashomon-like approach to the story, the movie takes advantage of it being set in a deposition to play out similarly to a courtroom drama. From the perspective of Andrew Garfield’s Eduardo Saverin, he was a well-meaning man whose friend, Mark, betrayed him in a shady business deal. Meanwhile, Mark’s perspective contends that it was Eduardo’s own lack of self-preservation that resulted in him skimming over the fine print of a contract that left him with the short end of the stick. Whatever camp you side with, the end result is a generation-defining movie that can’t be missed.

Christopher Nolan‘s three-hour-long thought-provoking exploration of the most complex figure of the WWII era is the pinnacle of cinematic experience. With groundbreaking visuals, mind-bending concepts, engaging storytelling, and meticulous acting, Oppenheimer is sure to go down as one of the masterpieces of contemporary filmmaking.

Early reviews of the Cillian Murphy-starring epic thriller have already declared Oppenheimer as an intellectually stimulating cinematic experience. The film brilliantly charts the turbulent life of the American theoretical physicist, considered the father of the atomic bomb. The authoritative 2005 biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, serves as the basis of the film’s fascinating screenplay, and the film has drawn comparisons to the best cinematic masterpiece of the previous decade.

How is Oppenheimer similar to The Social Network? 482r1g

The highest praise for the Oppenheimer team has come from critics who have compared the movie to the Oscar-winning 2011 biographical drama The Social Network. Reviewers have called Oppenheimer, “the most definitive and important biopic since David Fincher’s Facebook film over a decade ago.”

The two share some obvious similarities: both are biographical dramas and have adapted their screenplays from books, with The Social Network being based on the 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires. But a closer examination reveals a striking resemblance in the urgency of their writing and editing. The Social Network was “modern filmmaking at its finest,” having won three Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing. If Oppenheimer really walks along the lines of The Social Network, a few Oscar nominations might be on the way for it too.

The reviews have particularly praised Nolan’s intense screenplay and awe-inspiring cinematography that chronicles various phases of Oppenheimer’s life. The film features powerful dialogues highlighting the ethical and philosophical dilemmas faced by Oppenheimer during and in the aftermath of the Manhattan Project. The movie is a masterful alchemy of storytelling. And just like The Social Network, the film merits conversations even after leaving the theatre.

The Social Network comparisons prove Oppenheimer to be an Oscar-worthy biographical thriller 4iq5g

Regarding films and metanarrative, The Social Network established the standard for the decade of the 2010s. Oppenheimer now has a similar opportunity to re-establish cinema as an immersive and thought-provoking experience and declare the 2020s the decade of the reawakening of profound storytelling.

The Social Network comparisons have already boosted interest in Oppenheimer among moviegoers, who all count Aaron Sorkin’s Oscar-winning script among the best of its decade. The comparisons have raised expectations from the movie by rendering Nolan’s much-anticipated biographical thriller Oscar-worthy.

Since The Social Network, only 25 biographical films have won the Oscars. Only five of the 25 films have won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. And even among these five, only one was a biographical thriller: The Imitation Game.

If Oppenheimer stands true to its comparison with The Social Network in of a brilliant screenplay, it can The Imitation Game in becoming the only two biographical thrillers winning the Best Adapted Screenplay in the last 12 years.

Catch Oppenheimer in cinemas on July 21.

There are some movies that are never supposed to get sequels, but it remains entirely up for debate as to whether or not David Fincher’s The Social Network is one of them.

While the acclaimed biographical dramatic thriller unfolds during a very specific moment in history – which culminated in a stellar box office haul of $225 million and three Academy Award wins from eight nominations – writer Aaron Sorkin itted that he’d be open to continuing the story under the right circumstances, albeit on the condition that Fincher also returned as director.

That may or may not end up happening – although the chances are slimmer than ever with Fincher under an exclusive Netflix deal – but you’d suspect the originator of The West Wing and the brains behind Seven wouldn’t be interested in an action-packed blockbuster version of The Social Network 2 that starred John Cena as Mark Zuckerberg and Mads Mikkelsen as Elon Musk.

Fortunately, though, Cena seems to be fully on board with the concept, after retweeting a fantastic fan-made poster.

If there’s any reason to make this particular version of The Social Network 2 – besides the fact it would be the greatest thing to ever happen to cinema – then the genius tagline of “Zuck Around and Find Out” is it. That deserves to be slapped on posters all over the world, and the nightmarish prospect of Cena and Mikkelsen duking it out in an exaggerated version of the ongoing social media wars would at least ensure the follow-up to be a completely different beast from its acclaimed predecessor.

Andrew Garfield is looking back on one of his first breakout roles in a movie, 2010’s The Social Network, and reminiscing on how it has changed his perspective on social media in general for the worse.

Hailed by many critics as one of the very best films of the decade, The Social Network recounts the rise of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, and the friends and enemies he makes along the way, including co-founder Eduardo Saverin, played by Garfield.

The film was based on the 2009 non-fiction book by Ben Mezrich, The Accidental Billionaires. However, the movie adaptation takes some notable liberties with the factual recounting of events, such as the over-the-top partying scenes, making it more of a dramatization for entertainment’s sake than a documentary .

Regardless of some of the exaggerated drama that went down in the film, Facebook and other social media sites have had their fair share of controversies in the real world since then.

Both Garfield and fellow The Social Network co-star Dakota Johnson, who plays Amelia Ritter in the movie, discussed their thoughts on the topic in a recent Vanity Fair interview.

“I don’t think they’ve necessarily helped people, humanity,” Johnson said of social media technology. She then leveled the question back at Garfield, saying, “Do you think that social media is mostly good or mostly bad?”

In his response, Garfield said, “I don’t know. I lean towards get rid of it.”

“I think a lot of people saw The Social Dilemma, that great Netflix documentary, which was saying everything that we already know, but I think in a very accessible way,” he added. “I think you can find the dysfunction that gets created from these technologies, I think it’s all the rotten head of the fish.”

Garfield went on to say he thinks Zuckerberg is “obviously a man that has struggled to connect with people in an emotionally intelligent, deep way” and that “there’s this terrible superficial connection that’s happening that is limiting how we can actually relate,” due to technology created by him and others.

You can catch Andrew Garfield in the Netflix film tick, tick…BOOM! and Dakota Johnson in the Netflix film The Lost Daughter.

Andrew Garfield may have become a household name when he was cast as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man, but it was David Fincher’s The Social Network that first saw him gain attention in Hollywood, with only a handful of ing roles in low budget dramas under his belt before that point.

The gripping tale about the origins of Facebook ended up landing eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, with Aaron Sorkin scooping the prize for Best Adapted Screenplay, while Garfield found himself shortlisted at the Golden Globes in the Best ing Actor category.

However, the 38 year-old itted in a new interview with Total Film magazine that he hated the movie when he saw it for the first time, with both Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg fearing that they’d ruined The Social Network by delivering poor performances.

“I’m very rarely satisfied with how something turns out. I suffer from that kind of queer, divine dissatisfaction that most creative people have. I watching The Social Network for the first time, and me and Jesse were like, ‘Oh, we hate this sh*t. We hate it’. Everyone around us was going, ‘What the f*ck is wrong with you? It’s incredible’. We were like, ‘No. I ruined it. They should have cast someone else’. There’s a healthy version of that, which is the growing down thing. But then sometimes it turns into an indulgence.”

That obviously wasn’t the case, with Eisenberg even landing a Best Actor nod at the Oscars, but a lot of actors aren’t happy with their performances regardless of what the critics and awards bodies think. Even a decade and change later, The Social Network still ranks as some of Garfield’s best work, so he clearly did something right.

There are a handful of words that, in the context of discussing movies, or art and pop culture in general, tend to be exceptionally gear-grinding, for me at least. “Unfunny” is one word that comes to mind, a term that may indicate that the described item lacks humor, but certainly demonstrates that the subject doing the describing lacks it altogether. The word “Unnecessary” though is one that might be at the top of my list of words that have virtually no meaning when it comes to labelling movies. Evaluating the necessity of a medium that is essentially an industry of distraction is dubious indeed. For all its greatness and originality, how badly is a movie like Inception needed? After watching the excellent Cabin in the Woods for the gazillionth time, do any of us stop and appreciate it for being “necessary”? Entertainment and art function in similar ways: they both make life more interesting, enjoyable, and enriching. Life without them would be significantly crummier. Hyperbole aside, though, all movies are relatively inessential, a luxury, and as in the case of any other luxury, complaints about them are deeply boring. Whenever I hear someone disparage a new movie as “unnecessary,” my internal response always seems to be: Of course it is. And so what? Granted, the mere observation that there are exceptions to the perceived rule that “unnecessary” movies will turn out bad demonstrates nothing. What it does do, for me at least, is give a moment’s pause to the knee-jerk response that dismisses any film which sounds silly on paper. The outcome and quality of any movie, ultimately, comes down to the group of people making it far more than it does to its basic premise. For an idea of what I’m talking about, here are 10 movies, deemed unnecessary before their release, which were defiantly superb.

Hollywood studios love books, if not always the words, the stories and characters inside of them that screenwriters can thwart and adapt to fit a more conservative studio product. However, many of the biggest pinnacles of blockbuster cinema came when a popular read of the time received the big-screen treatment – think Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, Harry Potter. The buzz behind who got the role of Scarlett O’Hara in 1939 was just as enormous as finding out which star would play Lisbeth Salander or Katniss Everdeen more than 70 years later. As long as books continue to inspire blockbuster material, as well as Oscar bait, good source material will remain a major factor in the world of cinema. In the last weeks of 2013, some of the most anticipated films come from beloved books: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Book Thief and The Wolf of Wall Street, to name a few. Of course, there is the popular axiom that “the book is always better than the movie.” There are many reasons for this: a great book can immerse you for many nights of reading, while a film has just a couple of hours to fill your time with the same story and characters. The novel or book is the primary work of one person with a small crew of helping hands, like editors. With a film, there are many more cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, making it likelier for certain aspects – from the acting to the accuracy of the set design – to not live up to readers’ expectations. Most of all, novels that come with a first-person perspective often give screenwriters a challenge, since the writer must bring the idiosyncratic thoughts and feelings of the character to life through a visual medium. With book adaptations, though, there is always that debate of how much a film should change or cut from its source. If a director or screenwriter decides to change a crucial plot or character detail, they risk the fan base’s fury. Meanwhile, if they adhere too close to the text, they risk alienating casual moviegoers (Watchmen, anyone?). Now, this Top 10 list is not in a ranked order, and is only a personal sampling. The film adaptations I write about are those that have been adapted from texts that I have also read, and I am justified to compare the works. You may pipe in and say that some of the most beloved films of all time – The Godfather, Jaws, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Graduate – come from acclaimed novels and sur the author’s original work. However, since I have not read the books those films are based on, I cannot compare the book to the movie. So, without further ado, here are 9 film adaptations that are better than the book.