Film & Book Reviews by Ashley S.

Reality is a film about a former American Intelligence officer that was caught as a whistleblower. This film is starring Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton, and Merchant Davis. It’s interesting because the way that they shot this was using actual audio footage from the real incident, or interrogation, that took place at Reality’s home. I will mention that it is unclear that the name of the woman is Reality. It was only when they finally peaked to the climax of the actual interrogation that I finally realized that it was her name. I considered that the film was going to be centered around some concept of ‘reality’ intertwined with American Intelligence tactics, but I was wrong. For reference, the real woman’s name is: Reality Winner. One could argue that this is still a prevalent idea but for the purposes of this review, I will deter from this perspective. I will focus on the long, continuous conversation that takes place throughout the entirety of the film.

First, what strikes me as the viewer is the calmness that Reality has when the FBI show up at her home. She was so calm and emotionless that it almost made you feel creeped out at what was really going on. Her tone is bleak and somber, lifting only her eyes to the necessary glances that meet hers. It was very weird to watch her with little to no interest as she responds to each question that is asked of her – Yet she has no questions for them. The audience can take this demeanor in one or two ways, either she is sure that she did nothing wrong that she remains insanely calm, or she is so freaked out that it is the only way she can react. FBI agents Taylor and Garrick, who explain they have a warrant to search her house and her belongings. She is merely a puppet that is stringing along, following their moves as if she has no sense of being. The agents were portrayed as inquisitive with a pestering nature – treating her child like and brave. They were clear in their approach but it was obvious that they were being careful and wanted to keep the floor open for Reality to somehow spasm out of control. She never did.

When the FBI agents are in the empty room in her house, there is an eerie vibe that holds the viewer in suspense. We cannot understand where her testimony will go, only that it must be disclosed – Even if it takes forever. Reality grips onto her sanity for so long that it almost annoys me. The conversation is steered in different ways, the officers trying to make her comfortable by using various topics of conversation. It is quite enigmatic the way that we hold our truths right at the tips of our tongues but do not mean to let them slip. This is the way that she tells her story, her version, of why she did what she did. To be clear, what she did was release information to a New York news publication regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. She complains of frustration that she felt and I think that is a common emotion is drastic decisions that we make as humans. Insofar that in a split second, we make a choice that can alter our entire futures. Reality releasing that information may have appeased her momentarily, but when it comes to politics, there is always someone waiting to catch you slipping. As we can see today, there are many issues with the way that bipartisan leadership has been showcasing to the public. We must always keep an open mind and pay attention to what is going on – even if we still have to wake up for work the next day.

The purpose of this picture was to recreate the epilogue in a way that could textualize the sequence of events that led up to her involvement. The sole focus is primarily her initial interaction with the FBI and show she handles herself thereafter. Sydney Sweeney did a wonderful job at portraying emotion and expressing herself as the true Reality Winner, but there seemed to be something missing. The director seemed to be enticed by the notion of suspense and I think that took away from the rawness of the story. An ongoing conversation needs emotion and body language. It is the only way to have any idea where it is leading to. I think the audience paid close attention to these aspects because of the way that the Director shot this. Overall, I feel that it lacked substance, but the portrayal of the individual was indeed spot on.

Check out who this film was based on here: Reality Winner.

This film makes me think of its relevance to the current state of affairs today. Currently, Reality Winner is on a watchlist until November 2024. She went to prison for 4 years and was considered guilty under the Espionage Act.