Actor Sydney Sweeney - who you'll recognise from TV hits like Euphoria and The White Lotus - is now turning her attention to the big screen, with her new film, Reality, set to be released on 2 June 2023 in the UK. With reviews calling Reality incredible and some of Sydney's best work, it's unlikely to be something that you’ll forget in a hurry.
What is Reality about?
Reality is an American drama film that tells the true story of Reality Winner - a Farsi translator for a government contractor - who may or may not have been involved in the leaking of a classified government documents.
The film starts with Reality coming home from seemingly a normal day at work only to be confronted by two FBI agents: Taylor and Garrick who have a warrant to search her home. As the search begins, the pair question Reality – while recording the conversation – about some paperwork from the National Security Agency's Database that has been released to the media a la Edward Snowdon. They're convinced that Reality Winner is the whistleblower.
Who stars in Reality?
With the majority of the film taking place in Reality Winner’s house, the cast list for Reality is pretty small. Sydney Sweeney takes on the lead role of Reality Winner, whilst Marchant Davis (The Day Shall Come) and Josh Hamilton (13 Reasons Why) play the two FBI agents questioning her.
When is Reality coming out?
Reality came out on 29 May 2023 on HBO in the US, but you’ll have to wait just a couple more days - until 2 June 2023 - to watch it in the UK.
Where can I watch Reality?
If you're in the US, you’ll need a subscription to HBO Max in order to watch Reality, but for the UK there will be a theatrical release in cinemas on 2 June.
What are the reviews like for Reality?
Receiving four stars from Empire Magazine who called Reality Sydney Sweeney’s ‘best performance yet’ and five stars from The Guardian who wrote, ‘In its elegant simplicity, its formal daring and superbly subtle and controlled performances, Tina Satter’s movie is surely one of the best at the Berlin film festival’ the reviews for Reality have been overwhelmingly positive.
Is Reality based on a true story?
*Spoilers Ahead*
The basis of the script for Reality comes from the actual transcript of the interrogation of the real Reality Leigh Winner who is currently on supervised release following four years in jail after she was charged under the Espionage Act. The documents that Reality leaked to The Intercept - a media outlet - provided evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.
Subsequent to her service in the U.S. Air Force, Reality became a translator for the National Security Agency through Pluribus International Corporation and was assigned to translate documents relating to Iran's aerospace program from Persian to English.
Reality's justification for her actions was that she believed that the US public were intentionally being misled by the US government, but naturally the government didn't see it that way and on 3 June 2017, Reality was arrested. Her trial came over a year later on 23 August 2018 where she was sentenced to five years and three months in prison - the longest ever imposed for an unauthorised release of government information to the media.