Reality: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Sydney Sweeney stars as the American whistleblower Reality Winner
Year: 2023
Certificate: 12
Truth is stranger than fiction goes the saying and the movie Reality, starring Sydney Sweeney as the American whistleblower Reality Winner, certainly fits that bill. The HBO film is based on the play Is This A Room, and draws directly on the transcript of what happened when FBI agents showed up at the home of Reality - a translator for the National Security Agency - with a warrant to search the premises.
They spend a long time on the lawn, talking casually to fill the time while she becomes increasingly uneasy. The difference between the potential consequences of the situation and their cheery chitchat, some of which even borders on the flirtatious, is fascinating to watch, but it's what happens when they go inside - and the meat of the matter is revealed - that the tension of the play really takes off, and it doesn't take its foot off that pedal until the end.
Sweeney is deft and grounded in the lead, revealing layers to her character as the movie unfolds its story, reminding you as it does that what everyone says comes directly from that transcript, extraordinary as some of that will seem. By the end, you'll definitely have an opinion on what she did, and the consequences she faced - and continues to face - as a result. (82 minutes)
