A former American intelligence specialist is given the longest sentence for the unauthorized release of government information to the media about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections via an email operation.
Director: Tina Satter
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Marchánt Davis, Josh Hamilton, Benny Elledge, John Way
Release Date: February 18, 2023
Genre: Drama
Rated TV-MA
Runtime: 1h 23m
Reality is a lean, laser focused adaptation of Tina Satter's stage play "Is This A Room". Satter's debut film leans heavily into its stage roots by using a minimalist approach from start to finish. Outside of a few visual flourishes here and there, mostly to denote redacted dialogue, Satter keeps her focus on the dialogue and performances. This approach puts the film's success squarely on Sydney Sweeney shoulders as it asks her to carry an unglamorous, dialogue heavy role. Sweeney proves more than capable as she delivers a role that's incredibly nuanced as we follow the character's wide ranging emotions. It's naturalistic turn that's believable from start to finish as she processes the character's thoughts as the layers of the interrogation pull back more and more information. Her interplay with Marchánt Davis and Josh Hamilton, who play two FBI agents, serves as fascinating tennis match that moves seamlessly between cordial, probing to outright aggressive from moment to moment. The three share an impressive bit of chemistry together as they go back and forth during the interrogation, it’s a chilling unsettling experience that reminds us how powerful dialogue can be in the hands of talented performers.
A
