Every once in a while, a film comes along that helps to define an entire generation.

With “The Social Network,” director  David Fincher and writer Aaron Sorkin have achieved just that by crafting a tale of greed and social interaction in a digital world.

“The Social Network” chronicles the true story behind the creation of Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg, the socially inept founder of the site who would eventually become the world’s youngest billionaire.

The film also follows the often-conflicting viewpoints of Eduardo Saverin, played by Andrew Garfield, and the Winklevoss twins, played by Armie Hammer and Josh Pence, who all played a part in the site’s creation.

Aaron Sorkin, acclaimed writer of “A Few Good Men,” perfectly translates Facebook’s true story to the screen with a sharp and engaging script that captures every moment of tension with technical precision. After all, the main characters are entangled in multi-million dollar lawsuits against each other regarding what is arguably the single greatest digital invention of the century.

“The Social Network” is dripping with David Fincher’s trademark dark, crisp cinematic style — though it is definitely more subdued than in his other cult classic, “Fight Club.”

The soundtrack by Trent Reznor is the dark auditory companion to Fincher’s vision, exuding a cool, crazed confidence that mirrors the director’s imagery.

The idea of a Facebook movie can be easily met with skepticism. While it is an interesting and universal narrative, it may seem premature to make cinematic judgments on a history that is still unfolding.

But, as Andrew Garfield explained in a conference call for the upcoming release of the film, an excellent script can trump all.

“(Sorkin) did his research and wrote very detailed, human characters,” Garfield said.  “Every single person’s perspective in this story is right and wrong and it’s up to the audience to make up their own minds.”

While the acting ensemble is composed of up-and-comers — including the lead, Jesse Eisenberg who starred in “Zombieland” — all handled their roles with both professional gravitas and personal confidence in their unique acting styles.

Eisenberg said he was confident in his portrayal of Zuckerberg, an important 21st century role that would have been met with hesitation by less astute actors.

“First of all, (Zuckerberg) is a contemporary of mine … so I couldn’t really look at it in that way,” Eisenberg said. “I had to treat it like any other character, playing each scene as truthfully as possible in his spirit.”

“The Social Network” is easily one of the best films of the year and will forever serve as an iconic representation of how our lives have changed, both for good and bad, in the social media generation.