The tech origin story has turned into a trendy subgenre in Hollywood biopics. Swiped narrates the journey of Whitney Wolfe Herd (formerly Whitney Wolfe), an entrepreneur who played a key role in creating both Tinder and Bumble. She’s portrayed by the incredibly talented Brit, Lily James, one of the most versatile yet underrated actresses in her generation. Directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, who co-wrote the script with Bill Parker and Kim Caramele, this is a glossy adaptation that boasts stunning, high-definition cinematography.

It starts out in a sleek, lavish Silicon Valley Tech Mixer, where Whitney attempts to pitch her startup idea using a discarded badge. It highlights how the tech world is such a boys’ club, and at one point, she’s even mistaken for just a pretty face meant to charm the male guests. However, the evening isn’t a total loss as Whitney meets Sean Rad (Ben Schnetzer), who is working on his own startup, Cardify, a loyalty rewards app.

Before long, Wolfe joins Rad’s team, where the office vibe feels a lot like a college fraternity. Her role in the transition from Cardify to Tinder catapults her to success, even rising to being named the official company’s co-founder when its user base exceeds the one-million milestone. The film rushes through Whitney’s transformation post-Tinder with rapid cuts, flashy montages, and era-appropriate songs, making it feel more like a highlight reel rather than a thorough exploration of what must have been a complicated journey spanning several years.

A lot of tech biopics tend to focus on men (The Social Network, Steve Jobs, Blackberry, Tetris, etc.), so I’m glad to find one that highlights a woman. Whitney’s journey in the mostly male tech world is fascinating, but it’s a shame that it gets boiled down to just a superficial girlboss fantasy. It’s amusing that Hulu hired Disney alumni from its fairy tale adaptations: Lily James was Cinderella and Dan Stevens was the Beast, aka the Prince, in Beauty and the Beast.

Now, James manages to be convincing as a tech visionary, while Steven seems to have an affinity for playing Russian billionaires. He was a hoot as pop singer Alexander Lemtov in the 2020 Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest; this time, he plays Russian tech mogul Andrey Andreev, who’s created one of the world’s largest dating apps, Badoo. I have to admit, it’s kind of tough to focus on the scene where Andrey attempts to recruit Whitney, which eventually leads her to create Bumble, as I just can’t get past his hilarious accent.

For someone not familiar with the Silicon Valley scene or the online dating apps, it would have been enlightening to see more detailed brand-building choices or at least a peek into the app development process. I really liked the part where Whitney and her coworker Tisha (Myha’la) pitch Tinder to various colleges, with James displaying endless energy and quick wit while handling skeptical sorority girls. James looks the part, but my issue is that Whitney doesn’t come off as someone I can relate to on a personal level since the script only shows her business side.

Whitney’s dream tech career falls apart almost as quickly as Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage when the clock strikes midnight. When she starts dating Rad’s bestie and business partner Justin (Jackson White), I spot red flags immediately, but Whitney learns the hard way. Justin’s giant ego can’t handle rejection, and his misogynistic views and abusive behavior only make things worse. He bombards Whitney with toxic, belittling messages and goes out of his way to keep her out of business meetings and press appearances for the company. Goldenberg highlights the prevalent sexism in the tech industry, as Whitney is constantly underestimated despite all her accomplishments.

The legal battle with Tinder turns nasty pretty quickly, but Whitney’s challenges and episodes of depression also get the quick cuts and montages showing her panic attacks. A documentary might dive deeper into her story, but Whitney couldn’t even be legally involved in this production since she signed an NDA. So what we get is a sizzle reel masquerading as a biopic made for digital natives with a fleeting attention span.

Given that numerous individuals turn to online dating apps out of sheer boredom or simply for casual encounters, this approach is perhaps on point. However, for someone like me who genuinely wants to understand Whitney Wolfe’s career path, this film sadly falls short. It’s even more disheartening considering how few female tech entrepreneurs there are in the industry.

SWIPED is streaming on HULU on Disney+ on Friday

Have you seen SWIPED? I’d love to hear your thoughts!