Reality
For years now we've heard Donald Trump constantly spouting that the US election was rigged. Little did many of us know he was right, well kind of. The US electoral system was compromised, but it wasn't local agitators, it was Russian hackers. The new film Reality, starring Sydney Sweeney, explores this deception & its exposure to the world.
Reality is a crime drama film inspired by true events & based on the FBI interrogation transcript of American intelligence leaker Reality Winner. Throughout the film's 82-minute run time viewers act as a fly on the wall during the intense moments after a search warrant is enacted on Reality Winner's home following the leaking of top secret government documents.
With dialogue pulled directly from interrogation recordings & transcripts Reality is a deeply stressful, anxiety-inducing film with very little over-exuberance or flashiness that a Hollywood blockbuster may employ. This is further highlighted by the fact a large majority of this film takes place in a single room devoid of furniture or adornments.
Watching this film will have viewers feeling uneasy, nervous & perhaps even intimidated or questioning their innocence. This is thanks in large part to the performance of Sydney Sweeney as Reality Winner. Sweeney brings an air of honesty, believability, & dare we say it, reality to the role. The intimidation & uneasiness the character is feeling is palpable through the screen because of Sweeney.
Supporting Sweeney are co-stars Josh Hamilton as Agent Garrick & Marchánt Davis as Agent Taylor. Each of these men brings their presence to the film, whether that be as the overbearing intimidator or the insipid faux-ally for Reality. The good-cop bad-cop schtick is blatant but incredibly effective.
In her directorial debut, Tina Satter uses some simple techniques to heighten the tension & drive the emotions home. Simple techniques such as extreme close-ups or a dramatic bokeh effect isolate Reality even further as her world comes crumbling down around her the longer the interrogation continues.
Reality is a simple but highly effective & much more emotional film than it would first appear. True crime aficionados & even espionage drama lovers will be bewitched by this film & likely arrive at the credits questioning their reality.
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