Making a movie based on the social behemoth that is Facebook was risky, but director David Fincher was up for the challenge.

Fueled by a chilling score, a great cast and an entertaining script, “The Social Network” not only exhibits the creation of a lifestyle, but the downfall of its creator.

Set in fall 2003, “The Social Network” follows Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) throughout his time at Harvard University.

The film begins in a hilariously painful, yet surprisingly witty, break-up scene between Zuckerberg and his girlfriend, Erica Albright (Rooney Mara).

 “The Social Network” continues mapping Zuckerberg’s seemingly mundane life, as it follows him back to his dorm after the embarrassing breakup.

Bolstered by anger, rage and a bit of alcohol, Zuckerberg decides to blog rather harshly about his ex-girlfriend.

Zuckerberg then creates a website named FaceSmash.com, where he compiles photos of his female classmates at Harvard and encourages students to rank which one they deem hotter.

This website laid the foundations for what we now know as Facebook.

The rest of the movie is told in flashbacks from two separate depositions in which Zuckerberg finds himself.

The first deposition for a lawsuit is between Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins, a set of burly, athletic brothers who claimed that Facebook was their idea.

The second, and more important, is a lawsuit between Zuckerberg and his business partner and best friend at Harvard, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).

 This deposition takes both characters into an emotional, and sometimes painful, journey through the creation of Facebook.

 Fincher makes the surprising decision to illustrate Zuckerberg as an outcast, obsessive and almost immoral antagonist.

“The Social Network” is easily one of the best movies of the year and is as enlightening as it is entertaining.

 The young cast lives up to the hype and then some, and Fincher’s direction is his best since “Fight Club.”  

 Toward the end of the film, Zuckerberg is reunited with his lost love, Albright.

Still angry about Zuckerberg’s demeaning blog posts, she says, “The internet is not written in pencil

Mark, it can’t be erased. It’s written in ink — it’s permanent.”

And just like the ink that Erica mentions, this film is certain to have a lasting impression.