From Facebook to FTX: 9 tech movies and shows to watch this fall

There’s a lot of tech on the movie slate this fall, and the founders are getting almost as much attention as their inventions. With new films about Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Elizabeth Holmes arriving in theaters, it’s also a good time to revisit some oldies but goodies for context.

Whether you follow every development in Silicon Valley or just want to know more about the people and technologies behind your daily scrolling, here are nine movies and documentaries to add to your fall watchlist.

The Social Reckoning (2026)

Facebook has changed quite a bit since The Social Network, and writer-director Aaron Sorkin is returning to the story with some questions about what it became. As Sorkin told the Associated Press, "'The Social Network' was about the invention of Facebook, 'The Social Reckoning' is about what it’s become and, in particular, Facebook’s role in the rise of extremism and divisiveness."

Jeremy Strong plays Meta co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while Mikey Madison portrays former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen. Jeremy Allen White plays Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, whose reporting helped bring the company’s internal research into public view through the newspaper’s "Facebook Files" investigation.

The film follows the disclosures behind that investigation, shifting the focus from Facebook’s creation to the consequences of its growth. If you’re interested in what social platforms know about their effects on users, and what happens when employees speak up, this belongs on your list.

How to watch: In theaters Oct. 9.

The Social Network (2010)

Naturally, we have to go back to The Social Network. Director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s take on Facebook’s founding stars Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and Justin Timberlake as Napster co-founder Sean Parker.

If it’s been a while, consider a rewatch before The Social Reckoning. There’s something strange about revisiting Facebook’s college-campus beginnings when you know how big it would become. But the fights over friendship, credit, and money still make for real good drama.

How to watch: Rent or buy on Prime Video.

Musk (2026)

You’ve probably seen plenty of headlines about Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Filmmaker Alex Gibney’s documentary Musk takes a longer look at his business empire and political influence, following a story that stretches across electric vehicles, space exploration, social media, and government.

Gibney, whose films include Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Going Clear, sought to interview Musk for the film, but Musk declined. Musk has nevertheless made his opinion clear, calling it "a hit piece that misses, and makes the fatal sin of being boring for 4 hours" on X.

So, don’t expect an authorized portrait. If you’re curious about how Musk built his influence and how those different parts of his life connect, this is one to make time for. Whether you agree with his assessment of the runtime is up to you.

How to watch: In New York and Los Angeles theaters Oct. 9, expanding nationwide Oct. 16.

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)

Depending on whom you ask, AI will solve some of humanity’s biggest problems or create problems we’re completely unprepared for. (I cover both sides of the spectrum.) If you’re struggling to make sense of those competing predictions, that uncertainty is the starting point for The AI Doc.

Co-directors Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell follow Roher as he prepares to become a father and tries to understand the world his child will inherit. He speaks with people developing AI and people warning about its risks, exploring the promises and fears surrounding the technology.

Mashable Top Stories

For Roher, these questions hit closer to home because he’s about to become a dad. He wants to know what kind of world his child will grow up in, and what all these promises and warnings about AI could actually mean for their lives.

How to watch: Stream on Netflix or Peacock.

The Altruists (2026)

The tech drama extends to TV this fall, with Netflix’s The Altruists taking on the rise and collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Anthony Boyle plays FTX co-founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, while Julia Garner portrays former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison. Inspired by New York Magazine reporting, the eight-episode limited series follows their ambitions, relationship, and involvement in the financial scandal that brought down the business.

For anyone who remembers the FTX headlines but struggled to keep track of the people involved, the series puts those relationships at the center. Expect a dramatized account of the empire’s collapse, rather than a step-by-step lesson in cryptocurrency (thank gosh).

How to watch: All eight episodes arrive on Netflix Nov. 19.

You Can See Everything (2026)

If you watched The Dropout, you’re already familiar with the promises that helped Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes sell her blood-testing startup. You Can See Everything picks up after those promises unraveled.

Directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim document Holmes’ life in the 34 days before she reported to prison for defrauding investors. Fielder joins her at home, bringing together two people with very different relationships to carefully constructed public personas.

Anyone familiar with Nathan for You or The Rehearsal knows that Fielder can make an ordinary conversation deeply uncomfortable. Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko called You Can See Everything "a masterwork of interrogation, not only of the whole Holmes situation but of documentary as a form itself." And if that sounds a little academic for you, her reaction gives you a better idea of what to expect. "Personally, I gasped, shouted, laughed, and even gagged."

What will Holmes reveal, and how much of what we see is the version of herself she wants to present? You'll have to see it to believe it.

How to watch: In theaters Oct. 16.

The Social Dilemma (2020)

After watching the founders build their empires, The Social Dilemma brings the story back to the phone in your hand. You open an app to check a message, stick around for a video, and keep scrolling. Director Jeff Orlowski’s documentary explores the decisions that help turn a quick check-in into a much longer visit, and why that extra time is valuable to a company.

Former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris and former Twitter product executive Jeff Seibert are among the insiders explaining how that business works. Their interviews sit alongside fictional scenes following a family’s social media use, connecting the industry’s priorities to what happens at home. It’s worth watching if you want to understand how familiar features can shape your habits and relationships. You may know you spend longer on these apps than you intended; the film gives you a clearer sense of what keeps you there.

How to watch: Netflix.

Steve Jobs (2015) and Jobs (2013)

You have two options if you want to revisit Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ story, depending on how much ground you want to cover.

Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin (of The Social Network/Reckoning), Steve Jobs stars Michael Fassbender and unfolds backstage before three product launches, from the Macintosh in 1984 to the iMac in 1998. Before each launch, Jobs faces conflicts with colleagues and family, which get as much screentime as the products he’s preparing to unveil.

For a broader account of his career, director Joshua Michael Stern’s Jobs stars Ashton Kutcher and follows Jobs from his college years through Apple’s growth and his eventual return to the company. Both films dramatize his life, but they take different approaches. Choose Fassbender for Sorkin’s incredibly tense conversations, or Kutcher for a more traditional origin story.

How to watch: Rent or buy Steve Jobs through the Apple TV Store. Search your preferred digital rental service for Jobs.

Artificial (2026)

Andrew Garfield is back in a Silicon Valley power struggle. After playing Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network, he’s taking on OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman in director Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial.

Written by Simon Rich, the film dramatizes Altman’s 2023 firing and return to OpenAI just days later. That boardroom fight raises a question that matters well beyond the company’s employees — who gets to make decisions about technology that could change how everyone else works and lives?

Watch this if you use ChatGPT but know little about the people behind it...or if you know too much and need to see Garfield take on Altman's mannerisms. It arrives a little after fall, so you can carry this watchlist into December. Happy holidays!

How to watch: In theaters Dec. 25.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Recommended deals for you

HBO Max — top pick for premium content

Disney+ — best for families

Hulu — popular choice for originals

Peacock — low-cost choice for live sport

Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.