We are more than aware of Sydney Sweeney’s intriguing, exemplary talent already. We watched Euphoria and The White Lotus, and we’ve tracked her rise over the past four years – from new, buzzed-about talent to Emmy nominee. But we’ve been waiting for her to make a similar mark on the big screen, and it seems like that time has come: her latest film Reality premiered at the Berlinale in February, and critics seem to be gobsmacked by her performance. Buzz was so strong, in fact, that HBO have picked it up for release and dropped the first trailer.
So what is Reality, who does Sydney Sweeney play in it, and what are those critics saying? Here’s everything we know about Reality.
What is Reality about?
Based on a true story, the film follows Reality Winner, a woman who – when employed by a US government agency – leaked details of Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign. What she did eventually led to her arrest, and a subsequent sentencing of five years and three months in prison – the longest ever imposed upon someone for leaking unauthorised government documents to the media. The film is a chamber piece set inside the four-walls of Reality Winner’s home, when she returns to find FBI agents have a search warrant for it. The script is built from the transcripts of the conversations had with Reality during that questioning, and is based on a play which utilises a similar strategy: Is This a Room by Tina Satter.
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Who does Sydney Sweeney play in Reality?
Sydney plays Reality Winner, the titular character in the film. In preparation for the part, Sydney spoke with Reality, who was released from prison in 2021. Speaking at the Berlinale press conference for the film, Sydney said it was an “honour and the privilege” that she got to do so. “I was able to Zoom with her,” she said. “Tina [Satter, who wrote and directed the film] connected us, and I would text her throughout the process. When Tina connected us, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is a dream for an actor because I’m actually getting to speak with the real person and dive into their mind and what she’s gone through in her life’.”
Is there a trailer?
HBO released a new full-length trailer giving us our best look yet at Sydney Sweeney in the film. In it, we get a feel for the chamber-piece drama of the film, with the FBI agents confronting Reality in her home, conducting a search and interrogating her.
What are the reviews saying about her performance?
Reviews for the film have been overwhelmingly positive so far, with the film garnering ‘universal acclaim’ according to reviews aggregator Metacritic. A lot of the praise singles out Sydney’s performance too. IndieWire calls her “the real deal” and claims she “stuns” in the film. The Hollywood Reporter claimed her performance was “excellently calibrated” and called her “remarkable”, while Variety said that she plays Reality “so convincingly that it’s hard to remember her as the sardonic, pampered teen in The White Lotus, or the nice-girl-turned-nasty in Euphoria.” The Playlist said that “ultimately, it’s Sweeney’s show”.
It reads like the strongest praise of her career thus far, and from respected critics too. The Berlinale is often a launchpad for films that go the distance for awards season, like Call Me by Your Name, which screened there in 2017 and went on to earn Timothée Chalamet his first Oscar nomination. It’s early days, but these conversations start early too. Don’t be surprised if Sydney’s name crops up in this year’s awards chatter.
Who is behind the camera in Reality?
Tina Satter, who wrote the play on which Reality is based, is also the film’s writer and director. It was shot in just 16 days.
When is Reality released?
Reality will premiere on HBO Max on 29 May.
This story has been updated with new details and republished.