Realitybegins as a classic boisterous Italian comedy, then slowly and sinuously turns into something eerie and unsettling. Luciano (newcomer Aniello Arena) entertains his friends, family, and customers at his fish market with his exuberance and charm, and when the opportunity to audition for the reality showBig Brotherarises, he thinks his success is guaranteed… but instead, he slowly slides into anxiety, paranoia, and much more. This simple summary doesn't capture the richness ofReality: the texture of Italian daily life, the slippery and sneaky metaphors for religion, and the sheer creepiness of Luciano's descent, which will linger in your mind long after the movie ends. Arena gives an uncanny and vibrant performance, portraying a loving family man, a demanding hustler (Luciano has a sideline selling black-market pasta makers), a sweet dreamer, and ultimately a hollow shell that's been colonized by the virus of pop culture. The fine membrane between ambition and delusion has rarely felt so thin. From Matteo Garrone, the writer-director of the acclaimed crime thrillerGomorrah. --Bret Fetzer