Disclosure Day (Movie Review)

The King of the Summer Blockbuster returns to familiar territory with Disclosure Day. I am of course referring to Steven Spielberg and his latest science fiction epic, a film that once again explores our continued fascination with the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Except his latest film is based around the conceit that all those UFO sightings and alien abductions are real. But does that angle allow the movie to rise to the genre-defining heights of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, or is it merely a fresh coat of paint on a stale set of ideas.

The movie throws us right into the thick of it, as we are introduced to Daniel Kilmer (Josh O'Connor), a cybersecurity expert on the run after stealing confidential information from a shady organization tasked with keeping the world in the dark. This is a world basically on the brink of World War 3, with widspread panic and unrest as tensions rise between the superpowers. Meanwhile, a news reporter named Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) starts to develop actual superpowers, as a clip of her speaking a strange alien language quickly goes viral. She soon becomes a target as well, and the two fugiyives find themselves on a collision course that could end up unraveling one of humanity's worst kept secrets.

As versatile as Steven Spielberg has proven to be over the years, there's an undeniable joy I experience at the very prospect of a new science fiction movie by him. And that was certainly how I'd felt heading into Disclosure Day, one of my most eagerly anticipated movies of the year. From the very first trailer, it was clear that his latest flick was going to be a sci-fi film for the ages. And now that I've seen the movie, I am pleased to report that it delivered on the promises of that trailer, even though subsequent trailers had revealed a little more than I felt was necessary.

In any case, I won't be getting into any major spoilers in this review. After all, the movie thrives on the gradual unraveling of its central mystery. As the title suggests, the film grapples with the potential ramifications of full disclosure. In other words, how would people and the world at large receive the news that we are not alone in the universe. And it is that moral quandary that its cast of characters must weigh as they navigate a revelation that would surely challenge established beliefs.

Speaking of characters, Emily Blunt shines as Margaret, with a performance that gives the movie much of its emotional core. Colin Firth also proved to be an adequate foil for both her and Josh O'Connor as the villainous figure trying to stop them. He was almost unrecognizable, putting away his usual British charm and channeling instead the kind of cold determination we only ever get to see in the best villains. They might not win any Oscars for their roles but the overall ensemble still deserves its flowers.

One aspect of the movie that I feel should absolutely get some Oscar love is the excellent cinematography. There were some breathtaking tracking and wide angle shots employed throughout the movie, especially one from the action scene featured prominently in the trailers. A lot of that was enhanced by another great John Williams score, his thirtieth overall collaboration with Spielberg apparently. His music is the throughline that helps give theae Spielberg movies their heart and soul, and the same is true in this one, especially during its emotional third act.

I wish I could say the same thing about the creature effects in the movie, but alas, this is where I think it falls short of its full potential. The visual effects used on the CG animals and extraterrestrials were pretty hit or miss, and I was often surprised by how unfinished and unconvincing some of it looked. I guess that is what happens when everything else is operating at such a high level visually; anything less than stellar tends to stick out like a sore thumb.

The same thing can be said about all the plot contrivancess stretching the credibility of the story. The film employs a heavy dose of what I like to call movie logic, things and sequences that only ever make sense in a movie. I understand some of that stuff is essential to keep a movie simple or easy to follow. But a film still runs the risk of feeling inexplicably dumb if it relies on that too heavily. Thankfully, this one never crosses that threshold. None of it ever threatened to completely take me out of the movie or ruin what is essentially another win by one of the greatest directors of all time.

Disclosure Day is a heartfelt examination of what it means to be human in a world on the brink of destruction. It is also a spectacular rollercoaster ride of a movie with a mystery that would have you on the edge of your seat. At the very least, it will make you a believer. The film can be heavy-handed and overly sentimental, for sure, but it still captures the very essence of the summer blockbuster the way that only a director like Steven Spielberg can. And while it never quite raises to the level of an E.T. or Jurassic Park, it soars high enough to earn its spot in his ever-growing filmography.