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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Emmy nominee and HBO’s Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has a busy year of film appearances ahead of her. Will Gluck’s romantic-comedy Anyone But You is set to release this holiday season, with the Marvel film, Madame Web, releasing in 2024.
This year of continuous cinematic success all starts with HBO Films’ upcoming bio-drama, Reality. The film is directed by Tina Satter and is based on Satter’s 2019 stage play, Is This A Room. Its screenplay is co-written by Satter and James Paul Dallas. I was fortunate with getting the chance to see Reality early, thanks to Warner Bros. Discovery. While this title seems to appear briefly in its 82-minute runtime, the film takes its time picking at the raw performances from Sweeney and her co-stars.
In this review, I will discuss Tina Satter’s Reality. As the title of this article suggests, there will be no spoilers present here. Still, due to the film’s authentic historical context, minor spoilers may be ahead for those unfamiliar with Reality Leigh Winner. Please read with caution!
Plot Synopsis for HBO Films’ Reality
According to HBO, here is the official logline for Tina Satter’s Reality.
On June 3, 2017, 25-year-old former American intelligence specialist Reality Winner is confronted by FBI agents arriving at her home to question her suspected role in the mishandling of classified information. Based on true events, the film’s dialogue is directly from the transcript of their tense and transfixing conversation.
HBO, via Warner Bros. Discovery
Discussion
Satter’s HBO film accomplishes the swell feat of playing out as a stage-to-screen adaptation. Around eighty-five to ninety percent of the narrative strongly feels like a bottle episode of sorts, taking place primarily at Reality Leigh Winner’s (Sweeney) home. Tommy Love’s set piece of her residential property is deserving of appreciation, and it was interesting to see the story unfold in a few different areas of Winner’s home, both inside and out.
A profound first quarter-hour of the film has the protagonist standing around on her front lawn as she is confronted by FBI agents arriving in different vehicles. Then, Winner takes the agents — and the viewers — into her home as she watches them search through rooms until she is eventually interrogated in one room closed off from the ruckus. If you are looking for a kind of narrative, plot, or story, then that is pretty much all you will get. Reality is a dialogue-heavy narrative that does not quite follow the conventional plot structure.
Upon my first watch, I expected Sweeney to portray an extent of Winner even after her incarceration. Instead, what Reality manages to do is stretch an hour and forty-seven minutes’ worth of an initial investigation within an hour and seventeen minutes, and it becomes a harsh viewing experience. To be completely honest, with the stage play and the film thereof based on actual events, watching this does get difficult, especially when there is no happy ending. Nathan Micay’s music composition and the sound editing team’s work on the redactions in the latter half worked well in Satter’s favor. Love, Douglas Purver, and Jacob Slutsky really helped make these redactions effective for dramatic purposes. It was not until my second watch thereafter that what Winner is buying is time.
In Too Deep
The little details about Winner are meritable on Satter’s end. Every now and then, the viewer sees her stare off into spaces elsewhere that are occupied by other objects. Outside of her property, she looks at a children’s toy truck; in the sky, she gazes at a tree’s foliage breezing in the wind; by the windowsill, she finds a small snail. It would be interesting to know what was going on in her head as these happen, and it is not necessarily that the latter is akin to Virginia Woolf’s short story, “The Mark on the Wall”. Perhaps, it is the fact that her mind is overwhelmed by the unannounced arrival of unwanted company.
Winner’s breaking point is another memorable moment in the film. Paul Yee’s cinematography, Jennifer Vecchiarello and Ron Dulin’s editing, as well as the visual effects component, make way for an excellent yet brief series of shots from the protagonist’s perspective. Likewise, when Yee zooms out of the neighborhood at the end of the film, it is almost to tell the viewer that the world — the agents and Reality’s reality — is larger than we can ever assume.
The Cast and Crew Behind HBO’s Reality
Sydney Sweeney portrays the titular role, Reality Leigh Winner.
Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis portray FBI Agents, Justin C. Garrick and R. Wallace “Wally” Taylor, respectively.
Paul Yee serves as the director of photography for the film. Jennifer Vecchiarello and Ron Dulin serve as the editors. Douglas Aibel is the casting director.
Nathan Micay scores the musical composition. Ryan Billia is the supervising sound editor, while Alex Stuart is the sound effects editor. Matt Ericson and Chaim Goodman are the sound editors.
Tommy Love serves as the production designer. Love also does the video glitches for the film. Douglas Purver and Jacob Slutsky do additional glitch designs.
Enver Chakartash serves as the costume designer. Sarah Graalman is the key makeup artist, while Nina Bellord is the key hair stylist. Frankie Bromley is the additional makeup artist.
Emilio Madrid and Lily Olsen-Ecker are still photographers for the film.
Performances
Sweeney is no stranger to performances on this television network. Having had prominent roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus Season 1, the actor has already proven that she has the ability to deliver intense dramatic roles without flaw. She is what makes this film worth the watch (twice in my case). Enver Chakartash brings Winner to life through Sydney Sweeney: hair tied in a bun, white dress shirt with rolled-up long sleeves, jeans short shorts, and yellow Converse shoes.
What I love about Sweeney’s performance is how well she slowly cracks under pressure as she overflows with anxiety at the same time. In my interpretation, it seems reminiscent of a certain iconic scene from Euphoria Season 2. There is a scene or two during the latter half of the film where the sound editing and visuals become a potent combination to watch out for. Nonetheless, if the circumstances of this specific historical event were any different — that is, if the details of the NSA report were made public way sooner — then I feel that Sweeney would have what it takes to depict the later facets of Winner with ease.
Hamilton’s kind and cordial surface appearance as Garrick is a remarkable front for intimidation. For example, when he urges Winner to scream in case she desires to have her basic physiological needs met, it is truly nerve-racking, and Hamilton delivers well through his tone of voice. The scenes he shares with Winner and/or Wally are great, and it is cruel how harsh he can get while maintaining composure.
Final Thoughts on HBO’s Reality
Overall, Tina Satter’s Reality is sufficiently compelling as a psychological drama. Her production team and cast hold the depiction of the investigation together, however, it could not work without Sydney Sweeney’s involvement. The actor brings out an uncanny part of her that we are familiar with yet is new for the sake of fulfilling a dramatic purpose. I personally believe that the cinematic narrative would work as a limited series with a wider context, but then again… This is reality, and you get what America gives and takes from you.
4/5
Tina Satter’s Reality comes to HBO and HBO Max next Monday, May 29th!
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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