Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day Marks a Triumphant Return to Sci-Fi Wonder

Disclosure Day | In UK Cinemas Now

It always seems an event when Steven Spielberg releases a new movie, after all he is not only one of our most celebrated filmmakers, but also one of our most universally endearing. Disclosure Day carries that same sense of event, a return to form for a Spielberg who may not have slowed down, but who has perhaps strayed from his universal popularity over his last few films. This is Spielberg returning to one of his first loves, aliens. Disclosure Day sees a return to the summer blockbuster for Spielberg without sacrificing the philosophical pondering that has come part and parcel with his work. The film plays out like a cat and mouse game between a malicious government and a rebel movement trying to expose the world to extraterrestrial knowledge.

Led by the combination of Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, Disclosure Day has a starry cast. Emily Blunt gives some of her best work as Margaret, a meteorologist thrown into this world of government conspiracy and alien life. Blunt goes through a full range of emotions, with certain elements of the performance that feel almost miraculous. She performs with a charm and a humanness that creates a performance feeling like a character from classic Spielberg. Josh O’Connor gives a much more nuanced, quieter performance as Daniel, one with an edge that better represents the more cynical side of Spielberg’s filmography. Both work effectively within their own plotlines and work even better together, bolstering any shortcomings in the script.

Also among the cast are Colin Firth as the villainous head of the government organisation and Colman Domingo as his counterpart on the other side of the conflict, a warm leader of a mysterious revolution. Another notable performance is Eve Hewson’s Jane, who is used in Disclosure Day as a vessel for a major conversation Steven Spielberg is trying to discuss through this project: what is the relationship between religion and extraterrestrial life. This ensemble bounces off each other well to create a film where the tension only builds and builds.

Like Spielberg’s sci-fi fairytale, Disclosure Day plays out as one that mixes the childish ideals of good and evil with a murkier, greyer ideology. The film obviously explores ideas of grand science fiction and large questions surrounding alien life, but what really bleeds through Disclosure Day is the theme of empathy and the power it holds in our modern times. This film really feels like a culmination of Steven Spielberg’s 21st-century efforts. This project carries the heavy sci-fi overtones of films such as A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Minority Report, the political tension of The Post and Bridge of Spies, and the personal affliction Spielberg has grown more and more fond of. Just as West Side Story was a showcase of Spielberg celebrating the films he loves and The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical depiction of his childhood, Disclosure Day is a personal ode to Spielberg’s fascination with all things alien.

While the script may feel slightly wonky from time to time, and many may cite a lack of the advertised mystery the marketing promised, Disclosure Day feels like a classic Spielberg sci-fi modernised for the world we live in today, one where people are cruel and the idea of alien life being real isn’t so far-fetched. The performances are charming, the action is thrilling, and the story balances the creator’s intimate personal relationships with more general cinematic spectacle.

EyeOnLondon will be reviewing the rest of this summer’s biggest cinema releases as they land, so stay with us for what’s genuinely worth your time at the pictures.

[Image Credit | Niko Tavernise/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment]

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