Sydney Sweeney Astounds in ‘Reality’ [Review]

There was always hope that “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney would eventually break through into film. That finally happened with her Berlin Film Festival entry “Reality.”

Sweeney has been waiting for a chewy movie role like this one for a few years now, but she can definitely forget about getting any sort of Oscar tractiom. HBO Films acquired U.S. rights to “Reality” in late February. Sweeney will have to settle for an Emmy.

Directed by Tina Satter, from a screenplay by Satter and James Paul Davis, adapted from Satter's own stage play, “Reality” stars Sweeney as former American intelligence specialist Reality Winner (yes, that’s her actual name).

Winner was given the longest sentence by government for the unauthorized release of information to the media after she leaked data about election interference in 2017 to The Intercept.

This 83-minute film takes place in real time, on a Saturday afternoon, in June 2017, Reality, a 25-year-old fluent in multiple languages, is confronted at her Georgia home by the FBI.

The cryptic conversation that ensues between her and the Feds is tense and filled with subtle nuances. Reality knows her life is beginning to unravel. The result is stark and compelling.

This is a film purely driven by talk, but Sweeney is absolutely great in delving deep into the vulnerability of her character. Satter’s style is damn-near forensic, keeping our eyes glued to the screen with a screenplay that was basically taken from the actual FBI transcript from that fateful day.

The security state is the malignant force here. Reality is at the mercy of the surveillance apparatus. The film has the tension of a thriller.

However, it’s Sweeney who pulverizes us. She can really act. She lets you feel the anxiety that invaded Reality’s system that day. There is extraordinary range in her performance, her character says very little, but every word is uttered with considerable artfulness.

Reality’s attempts to stay cool fail, she eventually cracks under pressure, her lies get unearthed by these highly trained FBI agents. Sweeney’s face says everything we need to know about her character: the sleepy eyes, the twitchy wording, her mental state is collapsing.

Sweeney is a big name, purely with her connection to “Euphoria” alone, and, with the exception of her small role in “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,” hasn’t had much luck with her film choices. Call this a breakthrough, but you’ll have to settle in watching it at home on HBO Max (where it is currently available to stream).