Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s Swiped is not David Fincher’s The Social Network, nor does it try to be - this is a solid tale of a woman that helped develop a company only to be ousted after sexual harassment concerns were brought to leadership. The film is nearly two hours and over an hour of it, is entirely within the confines of this toxic workplace known as Tinder circa 2012 to 2014. The post Tinder events feel incredibly rushed, tossed aside and given little to no depth to really invest in our lead’s future. 

 

The story follows Lily James as Whitney Wolfe, a woman that moves to Los Angeles looking to make a difference when she becomes quickly attached to a tech incubator working on multiple concepts at once. One of those ideas happens to be the dating app now known as Tinder. The evolution of Tinder, the workplace changes, the app updates, and the milestones along the way are all terrifically told. Whitney’s time at Tinder switches from a joyous experience to a nightmare filled with ignorance, sexist behavior and sexual harassment. 

 

It always escapes me that Lilly James is British because she is able to put on an accent without effort. James during her tenure at Tinder is truly a sight to behold, going from the motions before having the entire venture come crashing down when she tries to do something about it. The film may not be The Social Network but when I looked at Jackson White’s Justin Mateen, I saw Timberlake’s Sean Parker (probably a trick of the eye). What a despicable story, a horrific company and an unfortunate outcome at the time - it had me personally fuming. 

 

The choice to make Bumble and the creation of it throughout all the planning to the debut is underbaked. When the film delivers so heavily and well on the Tinder front, it’s truly leaving Bumble short changed. Not only the entirety of the Bumble storyline feels overshadowed, but Whitney’s personal life outside of work as well. We witness her meeting her husband, but in truth his involvement in the final picture is miniscule and lacking any definition. 

 

Forget learning about Whitney Wolfe, the intricate process of running Bumble or the troubles along the way. Instead we receive half a fantastic film and the other half a highlight reel skimming Wikipedia. At the start of the film we receive a notation that there is truth and falsehood behind what’s being told here, then at the end we learn the news that due to an NDA - Whitney Wolfe has no part in the film whatsoever so that leaves a lot open for interpretation. What actually happened and what was dramatized for the sake of the film? In the end, half a great script, a poignant topic and a notable leading performance from James can’t help with some understandable hesitation when swiping right.