Reality Winner (yes, that is her real name) is a veteran of the United States Air Force, but she’s best known for leaking classified government documents to the media. Those documents regarded Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. It was a story that dominated talk shows and news stations for a short time back in 2017, before seemingly fading into obscurity as though it had never happened. The story has seen a bit of a resurgence recently with the Sydney Sweeney starring Reality in 2023 and this year’s Winner. There will undoubtedly be comparisons between the two films, but each tackles the subject matter in unique and interesting ways.
A Winning Cast
Emilia Jones, best known for her leading role in the 2021 Oscar-winning film CODA, brings an authenticity to the role that’s necessary for the film to succeed. Unlike Sweeney’s portrayal of the now-convicted felon, Winner takes place over the span of several years. It’s an examination of Reality as a person over a grander scale and scope, versus the smaller and more intimate look at the 2017 FBI raid on her home. The downfall to this larger-scale approach is that it opens itself up to the traditional trappings of a biopic.
The cast is rounded out with a surprisingly strong lineup, most notably Zach Galifianakis as her father, Ron Winner, and Kathryn Newton as her sister, Brittany Winner. Their roles aren’t large in regards to screen time, but they’re pivotal to understanding the complicated inner workings of Reality Winner. She’s largely depicted as a complex character, driven by her morals and dedicated to making the world a better place. She’s shown to be a born activist, even freeing caged puppies from a pet store in the mall. This makes her role in the military all the more head-scratching.
Winner separates itself from Reality
Director Susanna Fogel opts to take a softer approach to the material, showcasing the unbelievable nature of the events through a lighthearted and sarcastic narration. This narration, while ultimately being used as a tool for exposition, works to shed insight on Reality’s struggles with guilt and her motivations for committing an act that would label her a traitor to her country. A woman with Reality’s level of training and education must have known that she would be caught. The documents were stolen from an NSA (National Security Agency) database, and she used her personal identification number to gain access.
We don’t get much elaboration on what exactly drove Reality to print those documents and mail them to the media, besides an assertion that the American people deserved to know the information contained within them. Perhaps that’s all there was, but I’d have to assume there was an intense internal debate leading up to such a life-changing decision, and that part of the story is mostly glossed over. Her political leanings are also left mostly untouched upon. This is likely to make Reality Winner a relatable figure for both Republicans and Democrats alike. It’s an understandable approach, but in a story so closely linked to the 2016 presidential election it’s information that feels relevant.
Is Winner good?
Winner is a solid crack at telling the story of one the most intriguing figures in recent American history. It’s mostly a surface-level look at depression and guilt, but what it lacks in depth, it makes up for with a terrific leading performance and an overall entertaining delivery. The 2021 documentary Reality Winner is still the best source for understanding the events of 2017 that led to her arrest, and Reality is the bigger swing, but Winner is a satisfying entry the lore of a divisive character in our country’s history.
Winner is now available to watch on digital.
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