User reviews

Winner, directed by Susanna Fogel, stars Emilia Jones as the main character Reality Winner, and runs for 103 minutes. At first glance, there's nothing inherently wrong with the film. The acting is solid, especially from Emilia Jones, who delivers a nuanced and compelling performance. The movie's pacing is well-crafted, and it flows smoothly throughout its runtime. The emotions it aims to convey - ranging from personal struggles to moments of warmth - are well-developed, and the connection with the main character is undeniable. You genuinely feel Reality's inner conflicts, her personality, and the intentions driving her actions.

However, despite all these positives, I can't recommend Winner for one simple reason - though it may seem petty to some. In the very first minutes of the movie, we're introduced to the fact that Reality is being arrested, accused of violating the Espionage Act, and is suspected of being a terrorist. It sets up what appears to be a tense and engaging storyline about her legal battle and the fallout of those accusations. Unfortunately, the film never fully capitalizes on that promise. Instead, much of the movie focuses on her personal life - her relationships with her family and boyfriend, her love for animals, and her concern for global suffering.

While these aspects of her character are important, the core issue - the accusations against her - feels like background noise for most of the film. There's very little focus on the actual legal developments or consequences of her actions, which is disappointing given how strongly the film starts by presenting those stakes. The result is a movie that's solid on its own but sets the wrong expectations from the outset. If the focus had been more balanced or if the initial setup hadn't leaned so heavily on the legal drama, it might have been a more cohesive experience.

In conclusion, Winner is a decent film with strong performances and solid pacing, but it ultimately falls short by not delivering on the narrative expectations it sets in its opening moments. I give it a 6 out of 10.

Winner* is an absolute triumph in storytelling. The script is tight, intense, and keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The plot revolves around a young woman caught in a web of betrayal, navigating a world of corruption and deceit. The lead actress delivers a powerhouse performance, capturing every emotion with depth and conviction. Her portrayal of a conflicted and determined woman truly elevates the entire film.

The political intrigue and moral dilemmas make the movie all the more captivating. You can't help but root for the protagonist, even as she walks the fine line between right and wrong. The direction is sharp, the dialogue gripping, and the stakes feel incredibly high throughout.

**A Vignette if This Happened in Malaysia** If *Winner* had been set in my homeland of Malaysia, the story would have taken a far darker turn. The lead character's actions-essentially acts of treason against the state-would've had severe consequences here. Treason is treated with utmost seriousness, and in Malaysia, such acts could easily result in the death penalty. The tension of the film would be even more heightened, as the stakes are not just career-ending or reputation-destroying but life-threatening. The cultural and legal context would make *Winner* an even more intense watch, adding a layer of realism and peril that hits much closer to home.

If you have seen the HBO production 'reality' then you may think, why bother to watch this version of the story of Reality Winner? Well this one has a much lighter, even comedic touch to it, they are both very different experiences. Whilst the HBO version may be more realistic in its presentation, 'Winner' is ultimately the more affecting of the two in my opinion. It could stand on its own as a film about a rebellious teen, and would be enjoyably involving, moving and thought provoking. However accurate it comes to portraying the facts and experiences of the situation, one thing is certain, it gets across the message regarding the state of the political, judicial and intelligence sectors of the USA. Which all, depending on your biases, are truly lacking. Maybe not so much as in even the majority of other countries, but certainly far from that aspirational 'Shining City on a Hill' mantra.

It's deeply ironic that a young ex forces woman was jailed for years for printing out a few pages, when the person who was the beneficiary of the Russian interference she wished to highlight, had boxes full of top secret documents he had stolen as a private citizen in his toilet, yet will likely never even see the inside of a prison cell?

This is a highly entertaining film, watch it.

Watched this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Wow, this one was REALLY boring.

Filmmaker Susanna Fogel takes an interesting story about Reality Winner and the controversial political situations surrounding her, yet, creates an unsatisfying, annoying, and repetitive coming-of-age drama with annoying characters, poor humor and basic narrative structure.

Throughout the production, costumes, and the presentation feels cheap. The narrative does try to take a new fresh approach to the whistleblower stories but the poor dialogue, unfunny humor and uninteresting characters really didn't offer much to say. The character of Reality Winner is interesting especially with what she has done and her background but the movie really doesn't do a good job on capturing her life. It rather feels like a cheap lifetime movie.

The performances are okay but not great. Emilia Jones is trying her best and Jones does have some good moments, but unfortunately the bulk of the movie runs dry and Jones couldn't save the movie. The direction was unfocused, the dialogue is poor, and many of the moments were repetitive which makes it REALLY boring.

"Reality" (2023) might not be amazing but it did a better job on analyzing the character of Reality Winner. Here, this one fails.

Tho different in style, "Winner" explores the same subject as the recent "Reality": the NSA's Reality Winner who in 2017 leaked classified info on Russia's 2016 US election fixing. "Reality" focussed on her arrest to unveil its story in a clever & dry way, but "Winner" is lighter & brighter in showing her (here played by Emilia Jones - excellent yet again) family background (with folks Zach Galifianakis & Connie Britton and sis Kathryn Newton), motivations, sensitivities, etc. Kerry Howley's debut screenplay weaves a lot of info into a fun & digestible form for fine director Susanna Fogel. "Reality" & "Winner": two terrific complementary movies on one fascinating subject.

I think this Reality was brilliant. Based on the true story along with extensive experience in the government, I applaud Reality in her quest for truth and not bowing down to "the man". Reality's intentions were true to her American values and she stood up for that; I respect that. I cannot imagine all of the skeletons in the closet in this world that the rich and powerful control.

I thought the story was acted professionally and felt the story needed to be told. I wonder how many other items are kept secret; of course, in today's world with social media it's hard to tell what is truth and what is propaganda.

Winner (2024) is an absolute must-see for anyone who values truth and integrity. The film brilliantly showcases the incredible courage of Reality Winner, a woman who risked everything to expose the dark truths the government desperately tries to hide. Emilia Jones delivers a breathtaking performance, capturing Reality's intense moral struggle with such visceral emotion that it pulls you deep into her world.

This film doesn't just tell a gripping story; it stands as a powerful testament to the sacrifices made by those who dare to defend what is right. Watching Reality's journey, I felt a surge of anger and admiration. The American government punishes heroes like her, labeling whistleblowers as criminals for exposing injustice. This film challenges us to reconsider our definitions of heroism and villainy, compelling us to celebrate those who bravely speak out.

Winner struck a profound chord within me. It served as a stark reminder of the costs of standing up for your principles, no matter the personal cost. Reality Winner's story doesn't just tug at your heartstrings; it forces you to confront what you would sacrifice to uphold the truth. This film lingers in your mind long after the credits roll, urging you to reflect on the true meaning of courage, integrity, and the fight against oppression. It resonates deeply with my core values, inspiring me to champion those who dare to challenge the status quo.

It's very humourous, and tells a very human story of an activist and person with a strong moral compass. If there were more people like her. We'd have fewer wars and stop hemmoraging money we need to fix this country and help the impoverished. Instead of funding needless conflicts and army bases all over the world. Instead of punishing whistleblowers we condemn and imprison them for speaking out against against secretive government policies that overall make us all less safe and less free. People live in their own echo chambers and have refused to read books or listen to other points of view from those who live in other countries, especially the ones we devastate with our bombs, just because we want their oil or they refuse to obey us.

It wasnt a bad movie, or even a bad telling of a story. It was just a bunch of mediocre parts coming together to be mediocre.

The script chose to portray an unlikable person, loosely tries to let her self narrate the nobility of her repeatedly and entirely unlikable actions and make it funny as she spirals a relatively meaningless existence into an ultimately meaningless action that ends up mostly unmemorable.

Better scripting would have helped a ton. The trying to be cute and dark to be funny mostly didnt work at all.

Better acting, though the writing really limits what we saw. They were all written as set pieces in a comment on society, So none of them were memorable. And any move that's worth watching must have at least 1 memorable performance, a scene you always remember.

Directing, yeah weve seen great ideas turned into bad movies over and over. And simple kids stories glue us to a screen. This was not well done enough to hurry back from the bathroom to finish it, much less remember a single line from.

Its not bad, but if they wanted too paint her as a forgotten hero, they did a bad job. It was a movie you didnt root for the hero, or wonder what would happen next, and when it ended with a quiet text epilogue. The only thought was, YEAH, THATS WHAT SHE WAS THATS WHAT SHE DESERVES.

The focal point of any story deserves the audience to feel more emotive than that. Just, a relatively forgettable film that always had you wondering WHY DONT I CARE MORE, THIS IS IMPORTANT STUFF?