Reality (2023) Dir: Tina Satter
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Tina Satter's recent thriller is one I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from. I did know, at least, that it was based on the very true events surrounding the releasing of a government document to the media, concerning alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States Presidential Election.
First and foremost, I think Satter did a brilliant job of creating an uncomfortable, tense atmosphere. She created a very effective air of discomfort, particularly within the context of the people who were present; a vulnerable woman and several well-built men in positions of power. That on its own was enough to create feelings of fear and tension.
The film, in that respect, as well as the events of the story, was very uncomfortable to watch, in the best possible way. The audience really feel how tense the situation is and how tense the characters are, throughout. The underlying, tense, soundtrack helps to build suspense, along with the use of archival footage, and transcript inter-titles, of sorts. It plays almost like a true crime documentary at times, but I enjoyed that.
Sydney Sweeney provided an incredibly convincing performance, in which she feels completely vulnerable and believable - something that should very much be appreciated in her performance. I was thoroughly impressed by her whole performance, especially in the film's third act, in which her emotional storytelling was exquisite.
Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis were two very strong supporting characters, who each felt acutely believable and sinister, despite their lack of violence. Their character's positions of power, as well as their foreboding and calculated performances, give them an implicit air of threat.
Overall, I honestly did not expect to enjoy this film as much as I did. I thought I may find it okay enough, but I genuinely really enjoyed it. I thought it was tense, intriguing and a real standout performance for Sweeney. For a thriller with no explicit action, I loved how intense it was.
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