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Reality

Play trailer 2:08 Poster for Reality 2023 1h 23m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 102 Reviews 67% 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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Critics Reviews

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Christina Newland iNews.co.uk Sweeney's complex tricky performance – mixed with the emotional stakes – makes this intriguing drama completely absorbing. Rated: 4/5 Sep 18, 2024 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Shioka O Sydney Sweeney's performance is outstanding here. and this based-on true- story film itself is worth-watching. It's not for entertainment but gripping and has a right taste. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/16/24 Full Review Audience Member As a film, I found this to be near perfect, but due to entertainment value, it lacks a certain panache that takes away from a perfect score. That being said, it's an excellent film with a massive focus on directing and acting. All of the performers shine in this, particularly Sydney Sweeney and Josh Hamilton. If you have no idea about the plot, then this movie will be incredibly engaging. You will be trying to figure out what's happening, and be very intrigued as things unfold in the last act. Perfect runtime, not all movies need to be 120+ minutes. This is a nice, concise, dialogue driven story that captures an intense moment between a woman and the feds. A very good situational movie, not necessarily a genre, just an event. Thank you. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/24 Full Review Jerome B Was this movie produced explicitly and solely to intimidate whistleblowers? If so well done hbo for contributing to the interests of despicable powers that be and the cause of their vile deeds never being exposed or seeing light of day. Where were you when they were dropping dime about Tuskegee experiments? I'm sure idealistic Americans would be much better off never learning of those inhuman atrocities! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 09/13/24 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews
Reality

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Cast & Crew

Balloon 100% 50% Balloon Watchlist Joyland 98% 70% Joyland Watchlist TRAILER for Joyland Metronom 91% % Metronom Watchlist Tòkunbò % % Tòkunbò Watchlist Death of a Whistleblower 100% % Death of a Whistleblower Watchlist TRAILER for Death of a Whistleblower Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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
In the Cut Productions, Cinereach, Seaview Productions, 2 Sq Ft, Tanbark Pictures, Burn These Words, Fit Via Vi Film Productions
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 29, 2023
Runtime
1h 23m
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