Overview
A fishmonger chases fame but risks losing touch with reality in this comedic drama.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- satirical
- uneasy
- arthouse film night
- italian cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an entertaining and compelling dark satire, while noting that its message is occasionally difficult to communicate.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Luciano's pursuit of Big Brother transforms a modest family dream into an obsessive search for recognition.
Luciano's perception of reality changes as he becomes convinced that his audition and private life are being continuously judged.
Luciano supplements his fishmonger income through small scams and channels his energy into the promise of television success.
Luciano's performative personality, crowded relatives, and public-facing life give ordinary Neapolitan spaces a heightened stage-like quality.
Films like Reality, and why
The Great Beauty
shared dark satire, working-class social observation, and a protagonist whose ambitions distort everyday reality
The Consequences of Love
shared italian comic drama, theatrical performance, family entanglements, and tension between ordinary life and spectacle
The Truman Show
shared tragicomic treatment of media culture, social aspiration, and unstable perception
The Selfish Giant
shared working-class desperation, absurdist humor, and emotionally unsettling social satire
Movie Details
- Director
- Matteo Garrone
- Release Date
- 2012-05-04
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (353)
Cast
- Aniello Arena
- Loredana Simioli
- Nando Paone
- Graziella Marina
- Nello Iorio
- Nunzia Schiano
- Rosaria D'Urso
- Giuseppina Cervizzi
- Claudia Gerini
- Raffaele Ferrante
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Kanopy, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Reality about?
- A charismatic Neapolitan fishmonger’s dream of joining Big Brother turns a family adventure into a darkly comic spiral of media-fueled self-delusion.
- What is Reality like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Reality as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Reality violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Reality.
- What did critics think of Reality?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an entertaining and compelling dark satire, while noting that its message is occasionally difficult to communicate.
- Which films are like Reality?
- Films with a similar feel include The Great Beauty, The Consequences of Love, The Truman Show, and The Selfish Giant.
- How long is Reality?
- Reality runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch Reality?
- In United States, Reality streams on Philo, Kanopy, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
