Top 10 Movies About The Dark Side of Social Media

4 min read

Here are the Top 10 Movies About the Dark Side of Social Media:

Social media promised to connect us, to democratize communication, and to give everyone a voice. But in the last decade, we've seen its shiny surface peel back to reveal manipulation, obsession, deceit, and even danger. Filmmakers have caught on, using cinema to explore how these platforms twist identity, fuel narcissism, amplify misinformation, and sometimes, even end lives. The following ten films—ranging from thrillers and dramas to documentaries—shine a spotlight on the more sinister sides of our digital lives. Whether fictional or rooted in fact, each entry on this list reveals how the digital world often mirrors our deepest insecurities, desires, and fears.

10. A Simple Favor (2018)

Paul Feig’s stylish mystery-comedy starts as a playful mommy-blogger caper but quickly evolves into something much darker. Anna Kendrick’s character uses her vlog and social media savvy to unravel the mystery of her enigmatic friend Emily (Blake Lively). Though not strictly about social media, the film cleverly uses vlogging and digital sleuthing to explore themes of online personas and deception. It earns its spot for subtly exposing how people curate their lives for attention, even while hiding disturbing secrets.

9. The Circle (2017)

This dystopian drama, adapted from Dave Eggers’ novel, follows a young woman (Emma Watson) who lands a job at a powerful tech company reminiscent of Google or Facebook. The film explores surveillance, data privacy, and the illusion of transparency in an age where "going clear" becomes synonymous with surrendering your autonomy. While the execution is flawed, the concepts it tackles—digital overreach and the cost of living online—are chillingly relevant.

8. Missing (2023)

Told entirely through screens, Missing is a gripping mystery that illustrates just how much of our lives is traceable online. As a daughter searches for her missing mother using everything from emails to GPS to social media DMs, the film becomes a masterclass in digital breadcrumbs. Its placement here is justified by how seamlessly it shows the invasive yet indispensable nature of online platforms—and how easily identities can be fabricated or erased.

7. Not Okay (2022)

What starts as a satire of influencer culture soon spirals into something much darker. Danni (Zoey Deutch) fakes being a victim of a terrorist attack to gain clout, only to find herself drowning in the consequences of her lie. Not Okay skewers the toxic side of cancel culture, performative activism, and the viral hunger for victimhood, holding up a mirror to a society obsessed with being seen, no matter the cost.

6. Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Aubrey Plaza delivers a haunting performance as Ingrid, a woman who becomes obsessed with an Instagram influencer and moves across the country to befriend her. What unfolds is both hilarious and tragic—a sharp critique of parasocial relationships, influencer culture, and how people curate identities for likes. This film earns its high ranking by capturing the loneliness that often lurks behind curated feeds.

5. Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019)

This documentary captures the jaw-dropping disaster that was the Fyre Festival—a luxury music event marketed almost entirely through social media influencers. What makes this story terrifying is how easily people were manipulated through glossy Instagram posts and empty promises. Fyre shows how social media hype can be weaponized to sell lies, and how far people will go to protect an illusion of clout.

4. The Social Network (2010)

David Fincher’s razor-sharp portrayal of Facebook’s inception is less about the code and more about ego, betrayal, and ambition. While it doesn’t directly tackle the platform’s later controversies, the seeds of Facebook’s future problems are clearly planted here: the commodification of friendship, the hunger for domination, and the emotional cost of building an empire. Its place on the list is solidified by being the origin story of the very platforms that now dominate our lives.

3. The Great Hack (2019)

This documentary unpacks the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the weaponization of personal data during elections. It’s dense and unsettling, showing how our clicks, likes, and shares are harvested and sold to manipulate our decisions on a global scale. As elections and political discourse continue to be shaped by online behavior, The Great Hack feels less like a warning and more like a post-mortem.

2. Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)

What starts as an investigation into disturbing online videos turns into a global manhunt led by internet sleuths. This gripping docuseries reveals the power—and the danger—of online vigilantism. It explores how digital justice can blur ethical lines, and how internet fame, even in infamy, can be addictive. It ranks so high for its fascinating insight into crowd-sourced justice and the consequences of notoriety in the digital age.

1. The Social Dilemma (2020)

This eye-opening hybrid of documentary and dramatization features interviews with former tech insiders who helped build the platforms they now warn against. The Social Dilemma lays bare how algorithms are designed to exploit human psychology, fuel polarization, and keep users addicted. Its top ranking is justified by the way it breaks down the systemic, invisible forces that drive manipulation, anxiety, and disconnection in the digital age.

Conclusion

As much as social media has redefined our lives, these films remind us of the costs we often ignore. They shine a light on how platforms meant to bring us together can instead isolate, deceive, and even endanger us. Whether fictional tales of obsession and deceit or real-life stories of data exploitation and public manipulation, each movie on this list challenges us to examine the role these platforms play in shaping our thoughts, relationships, and society. The question is no longer whether social media is changing us, but whether we’re even aware of how much.