Steven Spielberg teams up once again with writer David Koepp for an intense science-fiction mystery that is going to sit with you for a long time.
Disclosure Day is Spielberg’s latest alien drama, but this time, the mood is claustrophobic and driven by characters that are deeply intertwined. The film is a book-end to the famed director’s long cinematic career, and it mirrors many of his best works.
Playing on the emotional resonance of each character, the film has moments that call back to War of the Worlds, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with elements and the atmosphere from Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, and maybe even E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Josh O’Connor plays Daniel Kellner, the anchor for the storytelling, but Emily Blunt as Margaret Fairchild is the star, carrying the story forward as the emotional, beating heart.
Both Colin Firth as Noah Scanlon–the film’s villain, in many ways, right up to the end–and Colman Domingo as Hugo Wakefield, deliver standout, resonant performances that ramp up the tension from the beginning.
And although I can complain about elements of the script, the ultimate payoff of the film, and some other nit-picky details, Disclosure Day is a masterclass in filmmaking. Spielberg works his charm with heartfelt relationships, while building tension. Watching the film I could feel the audience quietly locked into their chairs around me, sitting in rapt attention for the last 20 minutes. When I left the theatre, I felt like I was in some kind of trance.
The film will stick with you, it’s going to keep you thinking about empathy, politics, and the world today. For a lot of people, I think you’re going to want to see the movie again, too, but I doubt that you’ll experience the film the same way a second time.
While I have a tough time calling Disclosure Day one of Spielberg’s absolute best movies, because he’s made so many spectacular films, it’s certainly in the top ten. This is also a historic performance for Emily Blunt, and possibly even her best ever.
Watch the full review above for my deep dive on the film.
Synopsis: If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to โฆ Disclosure Day.
Based on a story by Steven Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
