Swiped: A Look at Tinder and Bumble’s Origins
“Swiped,” a new film, chronicles the early days of Tinder and the subsequent creation of Bumble, focusing on Whitney Wolfe Herd’s journey. The movie depicts Wolfe Herd’s rapid ascent, being quickly hired as head of marketing for sean’s app – an app needing to reach 1 million users within its first year to be viable.
The film portrays the initial success of Tinder with a fast-paced, optimistic tone. Scenes highlight key moments, such as Wolfe Herd’s pivotal suggestion of the name “Tinder” and her marketing strategies targeting college campuses, specifically leveraging social dynamics at Southern Methodist University. These moments are presented as efficient and effective, capturing the aesthetic of the 2010s through soundtrack and visual cues.
Though, ”Swiped” distinguishes itself by addressing the critically important challenges Wolfe Herd faced. The film details a tumultuous romantic relationship with co-founder Justin (played by Jackson White), which devolved into a pattern of harassment. It showcases the difficulties she encountered as the sole woman in a male-dominated environment, including disparaging text messages, and the subsequent betrayal when she was fired and subjected to a non-disclosure agreement. The film visually represents the ensuing online backlash through a montage of social media activity.
The movie also doesn’t shy away from examining the complexities of Wolfe Herd’s relationships with other key figures. It portrays a challenging dynamic with Andrey Andreev (Dan Stevens), the billionaire who funded Bumble, acknowledging his own problematic behavior despite providing her with the opportunity to build a women-centered dating app. A coworker, tisha, challenges Wolfe Herd on her initial lack of support for others facing harassment.
Ultimately, the film concludes with Wolfe Herd securing her position as CEO after the company’s acquisition by Blackstone, a resolution the filmmakers present as a victory, though the review questions whether this outcome fully addresses the systemic issues depicted.
Despite some perceived shortcomings in its approach, “Swiped” offers a recounting of the evolution of online dating, from its initial stigma to its current ubiquity, and delivers a competent, if occasionally contrived, narrative of the events surrounding Tinder and Bumble’s creation.
