20s Movie Review - Reality

Director: Tina Setter
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 83 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton, Marchánt Davis

Description: A former American intelligence specialist (Sydney Sweeney) was given the longest sentence for the unauthorized release of government information to the media about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections via an email operation.

Review: Suppose you find secret information about an extremely controversial issue that could potentially change the course of history. Would you disclose this? And what if it carries a severe penalty? Reality Winner found herself faced with this dilemma, and this film is the unfortunate outgrowth of her decision. Director Tina Satter, who also made a play about it, makes her debut with this minimalist docudrama. She immediately shows that she knows her stuff. After all, the film was shot in just sixteen days.

Twenty-five-year old Reality Winner’s life takes an unexpected turn on June 3^rd, 2016, when she encounters two FBI agents in her yard when she returns from shopping. The agents have a search warrant but the unsuspecting Air Force veteran is mostly worried about her pets and the groceries that need to go into the fridge. Communication is all friendly and the atmosphere is uncomfortable rather than serious. Until Reality makes an unexpected move. Three blinded SUV’s drive by and it becomes clear that something serious is indeed going on.

Reality is given the choice of being questioned at home or at the FBI office, whereupon the interrogation moves to a fluorescent-lit empty back room of her home. As her home is turned upside down in the background, the agents put her under fire. But what exactly is she suspected of? We learn that Reality works as a translator for the Secret Service and in that capacity has access to confidential information. We get more information, bit by but, and Reality feels the noose tightening around her neck. A secret document has been leaked and she is the prime suspect.  

If you’re not familiar with Reality Winner’s case, the beginning of the film is incredibly alienating and really makes you wonder where the hell it’s all going. Contrary to what yo might expect with such raid, everything is extremely slow and the tension building lies mainly in the uneasy and almost surreal nature of the scene. The agents’ work is so amateurish and stoic that you can hardly imagine that it could be like this in real life, but the opposite is true.

In fact, the film is based on the FBI transport of the audio recording of that day, and this is emphasized several times. So often, in fact, that it almost becomes a gimmick. Every word and sound is taken from the transcript. And this provides the film with an indeniable authenticity.

Because the agents are pretty secretive, the interrogation takes on almost absurdist character and the undoubtedly tactical stretching becomes quite annoying after a while. As a result, the running time of only eighty minutes feels long. Their passive-aggressive behavior, combined with the brightly lit room and ominous background music, does at the same time create an incredibly oppressive atmosphere. The way Reality struggles through the forced pleasantries makes you feel a certain unease.

This is absolutely due to the phenomenal acting by Sydney Sweeney, who portrays the titular character. Sweeney’s performance is raw and believable and she shines thanks to her convincing body language, especially in the awkward silences. With refined facial expressions, fiery eyes, and well feigned nervous twitches, she manages to make the feeling of discomfort really get under your skin.

The end result is an intriguing docudrama that shows without too much embellishment what Reality Winner experienced that particular day. With Sweeney as the highlight.

Rating: 4/ 5