Over the past two years, a handful of interpretations have told the story of America’s most unusual vigilante with the equally unusual name, Reality Winner. In 2023, Sydney Sweeney starred in the hybrid drama-documentary, Reality, which used actual police transcripts as its script. Later that year, Sonia Kennebeck directed the documentary Reality Winner, which included exclusive access to Reality herself, and was conducted over five years. It would seem like audiences may have gotten their fill of the girl with the remarkable name, but in Winner, Susanna Fogel’s more comedic take on the matter is a refreshing and welcomed entry into the Reality Winner cinematic universe.

Reality Winner: Traitor or Hero

Reality (Emilia Jones) is a wise-beyond-her-years misfit who has never been satisfied with the status quo. She lives in Texas with her mom (Connie Britton), dad (Zach Galifianakis), and sister (Kathryn Newton). Her interests have always extended well beyond her high school classroom, and ultimately as far as the global stage. Upon graduating, the 18-year-old ditches any college plans to enroll in the U.S. Air Force. Reality’s passion and expertise in the field of language translation make her a hot commodity for government positions. She quickly excels to a position as an NSA contractor. Here, she spends her days translating the Afghani language of Pashto into English to detect threats to the US.

Watch the Winner trailer here.

One afternoon, triggered by an outburst by former President Donald Trump regarding election fraud, Reality decides this is the moment for her to take matters into her own hands. She knowingly accesses and sends out a set of classified documents to a political journalist that contradicts Trump’s rhetoric, hopeful that the steps she took to conceal her identity will be enough. As we now know, it wasn’t enough, and Reality is caught and sentenced to years in prison.

Turns Out, Espionage is a Laughing Matter

Winner‘s success comes from its light comedy, which garners laughs from many sharp one-liners. Emilia Jones makes for a convincing Reality, her voice-over narration lands perfectly between naive and smart-aleck. The rest of the performances are short but sweet, aiding instead of scene-stealing. As the film’s visionary, Susanna Fogel brings a youthfulness and energy to a story we have never seen before. Fogel crafts Winner as an enigma that has yet to be completely figured out. She pays equal attention to the whistleblowing plotline as she does to Reality’s personal life, including her family and romantic relationships.

Takeaway

It’s true that Winner may not add a lot of new information to the existing conversation. However, Susanna Fogel preserves the themes of morality and justice. Bi-partisan in its agenda, Winner is an offensive, fun, and entertaining film about one of America’s infamous whistleblowers.