The last time we talked about Sydney Sweeney it was related to all the speculation over whether or not she and Glen Powell hooked up in real life while working on their upcoming rom-com Anyone But You. Glen and Gigi Paris broke up but, at the time, it seemed like Sydney and her fiancé Jonathan Davino were still together. For what it’s worth, at the premiere of Reality last night, she was not wearing her engagement ring. Then again, she wasn’t wearing it when she was out with him just before the Met Gala either.
Let’s focus on Reality instead. That’s the title of her new film premiering next week on HBO Max, a docudrama based on Reality Winner (what a name!), the former Air Force linguist and NSA contractor who leaked classified documents about Russian interference in the 2016 US election to The Intercept and received the longest sentence ever handed down for the unauthorised release of government information to the media.
Reality premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival back in February and was very well received. Directed and co-written by Tina Satter, based on a Broadway play that Satter also wrote, Sydney’s performance has been described as “remarkable” and “outstanding” and “devastating”, with critics saying it’s the best performance of her career so far.
So, as we have seen, from Euphoria bombshell to the terrifying young adult she played in The White Lotus, and now with this lead role playing a whistleblower in an independent film based on a true story turn as Reality Winner, Sydney’s star keeps rising as she continues to flex her versatility. After this comes the rom-com with Glen which could present an interesting PR dilemma. All the gossip that will inevitably follow her and Glen when Anyone But You comes out … will it overshadow the momentum she picks up from Reality?
HBO picked up Reality after the overwhelmingly positive reaction to it in Berlin. At the time, though it was very, very early, people were saying it was an Oscar-worthy performance from Sydney. We all know how the industry works and how eager Hollywood is to crown a young star in the mold of Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone and all that have come before. This is what Reality could do for Sydney.
Following that up with a rom-com and whatever flirtation she and Glen may have enjoyed during filming for Anyone But You could be a distraction. Will be interesting to see how she and her team manage the marketing.
As for her outfit at last night’s premiere, it’s not my favourite look, but it’s definitely her look, her lane. Which is why I’m so confused by her partnership with Tory Burch because, again, when I see Sydney Sweeney, I do not think Tory Burch.
