Reality

2023

1h 23m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

TRAILER

for Reality: Trailer 1

List

94%

Tomatometer

101 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

On a Saturday afternoon, in June 2017, Reality Winner, a 25-year-old in cut-off jeans, is confronted at her Georgia home by the FBI. A cryptic conversation begins and Reality's life quickly begins to unravel.

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Critics Consensus

Reality's narrow scope and gripping fact-based story add up to a riveting showcase for Sydney Sweeney in the title role.

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David Stratton

The Australian

It’s a troubling, unsettling and beautifully made production, all the more notable for being a debut feature that rigidly adheres to the actual recording that the FBI men made on the day that a brave young woman lost her freedom.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 3, 2023

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Reality is a bizarre blend of the gripping and the banal -- a film in which politeness is used as a weapon and guile is disguised as embarrassment.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 29, 2023

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David Klion

The New Republic

Reality is undeniably compelling cinema, and it raises some implicit questions about what qualities we do and don’t value in public servants.

Jun 8, 2023

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William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Sydney Sweeney shines as real life whistleblower Reality Winner in Reality, Tina Satter’s taut chamber piece adaptation of her award-winning play.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 3, 2024

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Hannah Brown

Jerusalem Post

It’s hard for most of us to get inside the heads of people like this, but Reality, and particularly Sweeney’s performance, illuminates this mind-set.

Jul 25, 2024

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Ross McIndoe

The Skinny

Reality makes for a compelling, quiet-spoken thriller, but its rigid adherence to factuality also leaves it a little boxed in, cutting it off from any greater truth about Winner’s story.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 4, 2024

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Agnes F

Not too sure why this was made into a movie, not much there in terms of a story. No plot twists, just Sydney Sweeney sweating throughout the movie. Ballsy little Democrat, hence the extra half star.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/03/24

Full Review

Stephen H

This was a great movie. With the actual transcript overlaid, it gave a real sense of being there in the moment and watching someone unravel under pressure from a major agency like the FBI. Non-right wingers will have wanted Reality to win in the end, but we all knew that was not going to be the case. I am surprised that the NSA did not have the technology in 2016 to limit who had access to or what would be sent to a printer. That just shows the organisation was too bureaucratic for its own good.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/28/24

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Travis N

I was so excited for the trailer to watch this movie. I’m not a Sydney Sweeney fan but I was excited to see her in a drama and especially really excited to hear this was a true story. Not sure how I missed it when it actually happened. What did I learn watching this movie? FBI transcripts make horrible movies scripts. In fact, I didn’t even finish the movie. It was way too awkward and slow. Instead I went to YouTube and watched a 60 Minutes segment/interview about reality winner and this whole incident. If you want the story in a much more consumable and informative format here is the link to the 60 Min interview… https://youtu.be/NcR5hlnN31I?si=C82PomNGxPEMEIix

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/23/24

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Les M

Intense interplay between Sydney Sweeney (as Reality Winner) and Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis (as the two FBI agents). Tina Satter did an excellent directing job.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/15/24

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Sal D

Very well performed piece on the FBI interrogation of Reality Leigh Winner based on recorded log. Film could have used a tiny boost of color, outside the log, into Reality pre- or post- interrogation and imprisonment. The sentence seems very harsh but if it was not, or even if was, some added flavor would have shaped this film into a 4 or 4+ star movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/25/24

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Sloth L

Terrible! What a waste of my time. This should have been a news article at best. If a movie plot would have told us anything, it could have been interesting. FBI officer was awkward and very dry as the verbatim was boring and had no interest at all. The repetition and repeating that is was a voluntary search and interview made it seem like the detainment was not real, yet she wasn't allowed to go inside or care for her pets. Don't bother watching. The last footnotes before the credits say it all-leaked documents and consequences.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/27/24

Full Review

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Tina Satter

Director

Sydney Sweeney

Reality Winner

Josh Hamilton

Garrick

Marchánt Davis

Taylor

John Way

FBI Agent

Benny Elledge

Joe

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Inside Game

38%

73%

Inside Game

TRAILER

for Inside Game

Death of a Whistleblower

100%

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Death of a Whistleblower

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for Death of a Whistleblower

She Said

88%

91%

She Said

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for She Said

22 July

81%

70%

22 July

TRAILER

for 22 July

Sitting in Limbo

100%

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Sitting in Limbo

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Reality: Featurette - Recreating Reality

5:02

Reality: Trailer 1

2:08

Reality: Teaser

0:50

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Synopsis

On a Saturday afternoon, in June 2017, Reality Winner, a 25-year-old in cut-off jeans, is confronted at her Georgia home by the FBI. A cryptic conversation begins and Reality's life quickly begins to unravel.

Director: Tina Satter
Producer: Brad Becker-Parton, Riva Marker, Greg Nobile, Noah Stahl
Screenwriter: James Paul Dallas, Tina Satter
Distributor: HBO
Production Co: Fit Via Vi Film Productions, September Film Distribution
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 29, 2023
Runtime: 1h 23m

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