Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” A Thought-Provoking, Tense Film

Ever since I have seen the trailers for the latest Steven Spielberg film “Disclosure Day,” I have been really intrigued about what one of the most beloved and influential filmmakers of all time would deliver us. So, now that I finally had the chance to check this out, let’s talk about it!

If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?

A meteorologist and a cyber security expert find themselves at the center of a movement to expose the government’s cover-up of extraterrestrial secrets.

I was really surprised to see online that some people just really didn’t like the latest film from Spielberg. So, after seeing “Disclosure Day,” even though it does have a few small minor setbacks here and there, I thought it is an interesting, and at times, thought-provoking film.

“Disclosure Day” delivers a thrilling blend of classic sci-fi wonder and a touch of suspense. The film also has a deep emotional element to it, some very great visuals (and not so great) and a nostalgic feeling that echoes older Spielberg classics like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (currently streaming on Peacock FYI).

While the performances in the film are good, it’s really Emily Blunt’s performance as Margaret Fairchild that truly stands out. Her character in the film gains the ability to read emotions and speak numerous different languages and she masterfully balances comedic confusion in the first act with immense grounded emotional intensity in the latter half of the film. Colin Firth also does a tremendous job as the head of a mysterious organization that’s trying to stop the disclosure from happening.

One thing that really makes the film great is how the fluid camera movement dynamically blends sweeping master shots with tight close-ups to heighten the emotional intensity of the sci-fi spectacle. Since much of the plot revolves around global panic and existential dread, these tight close-ups brilliantly capture the silent wonder, fear and sheer awe on the character’s faces (especially the moment where the whistleblower, Daniel, shows his girlfriend the truth of extraterrestrial life).

For the most part, “Disclosure Day” has some incredible visuals. Throughout the film, we get to see some gripping car chases and an intense, stunt-heavy train sequence that

is done practically that really stands out. Most of the visual effects that are used during some of the disclosure footage is really well-done and looks truly real. The only thing that did take me out of the film a little bit are the CGI effects used for animals throughout the film - they definitely needed some work!

I saw online that some viewers didn’t like the film due to the lack of aliens (they are in the film - just not as much as I initially thought) and the lack of typical alien-sci-fi action - and I really didn’t mind it. “Disclosure Day” is meant to be thought-provoking because it asks viewers if humanity is ethically and emotionally prepared for the truth of intelligent life. Rather than focusing on planetary destruction, the film explores philosophical themes of government secrecy, institutional accountability, and whether empathy - rather than advanced technology - is our greatest evolutionary advantage.

The overall critical/audience response to “Disclosure Day” has been highly divided and polarized. Now, even though the film does end in a rather abrupt way, I think the film is still a great watch. Filled with thought-provoking moments, a great musical score from the legendary John Williams and some intense performances, fans of past Spielberg films should check out his latest film “Disclosure Day.”

Cast: Emily Blunt (Margaret Fairchild); Josh O’Connor (Daniel Kellner); Colin Firth (Noah Scanlon); Eva Hewson (Jane Blankenship); Colman Domingo (Hugo Wakefield); Wyatt Russell (Jackson); Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Casper Boyd); Elizabeth Marvel (Sister Maura); Tommy Martinez (Santiago)

Writer/director: David Koepp (writer) (Jurassic World: Rebirth; Black Bag; Presence; Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny); Steven Spielberg (director) (The Fabelmans; West Side Story; Ready Player One)

MPA: Rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language   (runtime 145 minutes)

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https://youtu.be/icDuEHSxE-w?si=3CUIlmSfjjYFpQ4z

• When Steven Spielberg approached John Williams to provide the score, Williams first suggested four other composers to take the job, since Williams had retired from film scoring. Spielberg insisted Williams score the film himself, and Williams finally agreed.

• The 21st collaboration between Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. Their first was Schindler's List (1993), over 30 years prior.

• Over 300 LCD / plasma screens were used for the WARDEX headquarters communications room. The footage shown on them took more than five months to create prior to principal photography. Content for the screens was played live during filming so the cast could naturally respond to the images in real time.

• Screenwriter David Koepp wrote forty-two drafts of the script. This is the most ever in his writing career.

• The NBC television control-room scenes were filmed at the actual historical broadcast headquarters of NBC News located at the Comcast Building - 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, USA. Many of the people seen in these scenes were real life NBC TV station staffers performing their actual workplace duties.

• The movie's story writer and film director Steven Spielberg was for this film inspired by a 2017 article published in 'The New York Times' entitled "Glowing Auras and 'Black Money' - The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program". He said it made him wonder whether it was finally time for another extra-terrestrial story. The article was published in the 40th Anniversary year of Spielberg's 1970s alien film classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

• Director Steven Spielberg has directed at least one sci-fi feature film in each decade of his career as of 2026. These movies are: Firelight (1964) (most of it a lost film), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Minority Report (2002), War of the Worlds (2005), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Ready Player One (2018) and now Disclosure Day (2026).

• Released three years and seven months after The Fabelmans (2022), this marks the second-longest gap between two Steven Spielberg films, after Ready Player One (2018) and West Side Story (2021), released three years and nine months apart. The shortest gap belongs to The Adventures of Tintin (2011) and War Horse (2011), released only four days apart in the United States.