#SUNDANCE: “WINNER” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore

Reality Winner (Emilia Jones) is a brilliant young misfit from a Texas border town who finds her morals challenged while serving as an NSA contractor. A sarcastic, gun-loving, vegan, and CrossFit fanatic, Reality is an unconventional Whistleblower who ends up being prosecuted for exposing Russia’s hacking of the 2016 election.

Don’t confuse Winner with last year’s Reality. As Reality strictly depicted the interrogation that occurred inside Reality Winner’s basement. Director Susanna Fogel’s seriocomic Winner is a full Biopic on this Whistleblower. 

We are first introduced to her and her family. It’s clear she is closer to her ‘power-to-the-people’ father (a touching Zach Galifianakis). Eventually, her life takes her on the career path as a translator for the U.S. Air Force and then to the CIA. It’s while working at the CIA that Reality finds documents that Russia did interfere in the 2016 Election. She prints it off and sends it to an online publication. Before long, the government has her sent to prison where she served a four-year sentence.

Winner is an important film that documents a brave woman in our current history. Fogel crafts a Film that is easily accessible for a wide audience to watch. Just like many biopics, Winner feels like it could’ve included more. Yet, its pacing (from Screenwriter Kerry Howley) is part of what makes it work and the tone fits perfectly with the subject herself. Jones portrays Reality with a ferocity and passion that captivates.

Winner screens at Sundance ’24:

Jan 20 at 3:30 PM at The Ray Theatre

Jan 21 at 12:00 PM at Redstone Cinemas – 7

Jan 22 at 6:00 PM at Rose Wagner Theatre

Jan 23 at 4:30 PM at Eccles Theatre

Jan 28 at 6:30 PM at Magaplex Theatres at The Gateway – Theatre 8/9