Reality

Reality Winner was convicted in 2018 for revealing USA state secrets and then receiving a five years jail sentence; the longest ever for this type of crime. That is a matter of public record and well known.

What director Tina Satter and co-writer James Paul Dallas have done with Reality is concentrate on Lee Winner played by Sydney Sweeney, the initial FBI raid on her property and subsequent questioning. Based on the original tapes with some redactions this is compulsive viewing from start to finish.

It starts casual enough with Agents Garrick and Taylor (Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis respectively) approaching Reality as she arrives back from a shop. They politely explain that they have a warrant and as other agents arrive they begin to search the house.

The agents approach is informal; polite small talk about the neighbourhood, though flecked with questions asking if she has guns in her possession and access to her mobile. Given the option of answering questions at her house or an office, Lee Winner opts for a dirty unfurnished room in her house. It’s here where the viewer is taken into the detail of the investigation.

The agents barely change tone as Reality tells her story, they gently but assuredly pick holes in her actions, probing away as to her motives. It’s a remarkable performance from Sweeney at first trying to cover her actions while gradually realising that she is losing control of the situation. The intensity and tension are astonishing as Satter slowly ratchets it up as the agents press Reality.

There’s no good cop, bad cop here though the two agents appear to have a well-rehearsed routine that is still intimidating. Sweeney is outstanding her nerves on edge right from the initial approach. Nervous and on edge it’s never quite clear whether she twigs straight away what this is about. When she does it’s the seriousness of the matter that hits her. She’s matched by Hamilton and Marchánt as the two remorseless agents, who never raise their voices. But that is all the more intimidating for that using their eyes, face and posture to take control and grind down Reality.

Satter for the most part keeps it straight and despite the sound waves and transcripts its clear this is a film and not mock-doc. This is further enhanced with some brief echo and fuzzy film affects as Lee Winner begins to breakdown under the questioning.

The film through based on what the viewer is presented with doesn’t look to generate sympathy for any party though there’s a steer at the end of the film.

Reality will be in UK and Irish cinemas from 2 June 2023.