BACKGROUND:

Disclosure Day is the 37th feature film directed by Steven Spielberg. It features an original story from Spielberg that he recorded in the notes app on his phone during the summer of 2023, the year after the release of The Fabelmans. Spielberg then assembled many of his favorite collaborators- David Koepp (Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds) to write the script, Janusz Kaminski (Spielberg’s DP on every film since Schindler’s List) as cinematographer, and legendary composer John Williams to craft his 30th score for a Steven Spielberg film.

The main cast (dubbed the “Fantastic Five” by Colman Domingo in an interview with Empire magazine) is led by Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada 2) as Margaret Fairchild, a TV weather reporter in Kansas City, and Josh O’Connor (Challengers) as Daniel Kellner, a government whistleblower. Much of the movie follows Blunt and O’Connor as they move along two parallel, seemingly unconnected tracks. Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) plays Noah Scanlon, the leader of a secret corporation, Wardex; Eve Hewson (Bridge of Spies) plays Daniel’s girlfriend, Jane; and Domingo (Michael) rounds out the five as Hugo Wakefield, a former Wardex employee.

OPENING THOUGHTS:

Disclosure Day feels like a classic Spielberg summer blockbuster. Now 79 years old and four years removed from his last time in the director’s chair, the film feels like Spielberg wanting to prove he still has it- and he does. The result is an engaging sci-fi conspiracy thriller that often had me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath. Admittedly, there are holes in my personal Spielberg catalog (both from before I was born and from the last 15 years when I was raising kids of my own), but this is my favorite Spielberg entry since 2002’s Minority Report. I recently watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind for the first time (Spielberg’s 1977 movie about alien encounters and government conspiracies), and I am glad I did. There are times while watching Disclosure Day that I wondered if it was meant to be a direct sequel to Close Encounters.

SUPERLATIVES:

Superlatives for Disclosure Day have to begin with Emily Blunt, who delivers a career-best and award-worthy performance as the co-lead. Blunt is given the most emotional depth among the cast, and she makes the most of it. Every time her character is on-screen, you don’t dare look away. Wyatt Russell plays Blunt’s boyfriend, Jackson, and is the unsung hero of the movie, injecting a lot of humor into a surprisingly funny movie.

Koepp delivers a well-written mystery that hits the ground running and does not look back. Kaminski and Spielberg have been working together for over 30 years, and most of Disclosure Day looks fantastic. Multiple signature camera shots add to the experience, and the action set pieces, from a rural Maryland farmhouse to a dangerous train crossing, are intensely thrilling. Colin Firth excels as the film’s main antagonist, and his scenes with Eve Hewson are among my favorites.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:

Disclosure Day does have some flaws. When the action slows down, the scenes drag slightly, and I found myself urging the movie to “hurry up” and move on to the next set piece. A large portion of the film is structured as a chase, and it teeters on the edge of being one close call too many. Besides those pacing issues, there are a few times when the special effects (as much as possible is done practically) are a little too noticeable. Finally, the MacGuffin that drives a lot of the plot feels uninspired and slightly boring.

THE FINAL WORD:

Steven Spielberg has been curious about the possibility of life beyond Earth since his very first film, Firelight, in 1964. Disclosure Day tackles a “79-year government conspiracy” that traces back to the 1947 incident in Roswell, New Mexico, but also mirrors the span of Spielberg’s life. In many ways, Disclosure Day feels like the culmination of over 60 years of filmmaking for the legendary director. Emily Blunt leads the stellar cast, the movie delivers the action, thrills, and mystery required of summer blockbusters, and John Williams (at age 94!) composes another tremendous score that elevates the film all the way through the final credits. Ultimately, while Disclosure Day spends much of its time focused on aliens, a very human story about wonder and imagination is at its heart. Go see this movie!

9/10

-Greg