Sydney Sweeney stars as NSA whistleblower Reality Leigh Winner in “Reality,” a searing HBO drama from playwright Tina Satter. A recording device captures the events that unfold over a few fateful hours on one day in June 2017, creating the transcript that Satter based the film on, as well as her 2019 play titled “Is This A Room: Reality Winner Verbatim Transcription.”
June 3rd, 2017, sets the scene for “Reality” as Winner (Sydney Sweeney) must face the consequences of her leaking classified NSA documents about Russia’s interference with the 2016 U.S. election to the media. Winner returns home from a grocery run to find herself faced with two FBI agents (Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis) and a warrant for them to search her house, car, and person. As the truth about Winner’s involvement in the leak comes to light, her denial quickly turns to a confession, and she realizes her life will be forever changed.
The Euphoria Star Delivers Her Best Performance to Date
Sydney Sweeney delivers a captivating performance across the 82-minute run-time. The “Euphoria” star’s portrayal radiates authenticity and allows the 25-year-old actress to deliver one of her best performances to date. Consequently, convincing and intimidating performances from Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis accompany Sweeney’s bold turn. The pair bounce off Sweeney’s performance. To put it another way, they help bring the exhilarating tension to new extremes, allowing audiences to invest in the events onscreen. These three performances allow “Reality” to become a realistic and immersive retelling of the events leading up to Winner’s arrest. In addition, a sense of realism brought on by these stellar performances is emphasized by the screenplay that features direct quotes from the FBI transcripts of Winner’s interrogation and arrest.
Perhaps one of the most impressive parts of the film is Satter managing to make a film whose entire story takes place in one house entertaining. She’s also able to hold the audience’s attention without feeling lifeless or uninteresting. That doesn’t mean “Reality” escapes being a film where it feels like you have to pay attention to every line lest you miss something important. The use of genuine transcripts does help with the authenticity and believability of the film. But it has some unconventional editing choices in return. This is noticed when it comes to redacted portions of the transcripts. It may be a jarring editing choice to physically take characters out of the scene like a glitch. However, that allows the film to stay as truthful to the source material as possible.
‘Reality’ Keeps You at the Edge of Your Seat
Satter’s directorial effort asserts herself as someone who can hold her own in the director’s chair. She draws engaging performances out of actors. Furthermore, “Reality” immerses its audience in nail-biting tension throughout the whole 82-minute run. It keeps them on the edge of their seats as the interrogation unfolds onscreen. Sydney Sweeney delivers a stellar performance. This is perhaps her best, as she brings Winner’s story to the big screen. In conclusion, Tina Satter does a stellar job adapting the story of Reality Winner. The result is a neat yet intense drama that feels interesting and informative.
