Disclosure Day Review: A Soul-Searching, Heart-Racing Blockbuster Success

      Certain beliefs have the power to unite all of humanity. For instance, the notion that extraordinary things can happen, or even that the impossible may be achievable. Steven Spielberg is open about his faith in extraterrestrial life and encourages you to share this belief. He is so earnest about this lofty yet critical idea that he revisits it with a simple but profound message: “Empathy is the essence of living beings—our evolutionary edge.” His goal is to remind us of our ability to empathize.

      It seems as though Spielberg's position in high society and the global elite is attempting to convey a message. However, this has been a topic of enduring fascination for him throughout his life. His first feature film, Firelight, released in 1964, addressed the question of alien existence, as did Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., and War of the Worlds (not to mention, arguably, Minority Report). He even integrated an "aliens exist" storyline into the fourth Indiana Jones film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Yet, there’s a more personal quality to Disclosure Day, which is Spielberg’s first authentic sci-fi film since War of the Worlds in 2005 and only his second in two decades, following the IP-heavy Ready Player One.

      Having only written the screenplay for three of his films since Close Encounters in 1977, Spielberg has just finished crafting his most personal film to date, The Fabelmans, and evidently still has the creative itch. As the originator of Disclosure Day's story, he imparts a personal touch that feels autobiographical (though it isn’t, of course), while entrusting longtime collaborator David Koepp with polishing the final screenplay, which resonates with a unique yet universally relatable voice. Regarding the content being revealed, the secret is not quite as hidden as one might assume. It becomes clear with a quick glance at any of the latest trailers. However, there remain subtle secrets and captivating details in its broader extraterrestrial revelation.

      We enter Disclosure Day amidst an ongoing pursuit. A shady transfer is occurring, but the details of how, why, and what is being handed over remain shrouded in mystery. A gaunt, quiet, and sleepy-eyed Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) is present among the crowd at a wrestling event, embodying a Julian Assange-like figure on the run after stealing secrets from WARDEX, which he intends to trade for the captured Jane (Eve Hewson), his ex-girlfriend who has become ensnared in Danny’s life-altering decision to divulge the secrets WARDEX hired him to safeguard. She abandoned her aspirations of becoming a nun; he has embraced his role as a data analyst in cybersecurity within the deep state.

      The antagonist Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) is at the helm of the enigmatic agency hunting for Danny and Jane, issuing orders with a chilling efficiency that propels his operatives into action while he employs alien technology to transcend our conventional understanding of space. As the backdrop of relatable modern America unfolds, the specter of World War III looms, gradually descending into chaos without clear explanation, and Spielberg uses this framing device to highlight the significance of the secrets being uncovered.

      That said, the narrative centers more on Kansas City weather reporter Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt, delivering her best performance since Sicario and finally receiving a role worthy of her talents after six years), who drives the thriller with a balanced mix of humor and reverent amazement. Maggie finds herself in a life phase where nothing or nowhere feels right. She will recognize her true place when she finds it, but Kansas City doesn’t fit that bill. A relationship with Jackson (a humorously charming Wyatt Russell, who could easily be imagined as even more compelling in the role by Tim Robinson) also doesn’t seem right. Following a peculiarly surreal encounter with a cardinal, Maggie mysteriously gains the power to communicate across languages and delve into people's hearts, minds, and personal histories with mere eye contact. Her newfound insight is reminiscent of Agatha's eerie premonition in Minority Report: “He knows. Don’t go home.”

      As the story progresses, Danny and Maggie gradually gravitate towards one another, leading to a different narrative that I’ll leave for viewers to discover. There’s a haunting weight to Disclosure Day that gives the impression of carrying something that feels both immensely heavy and as light as a feather—a spine-chilling existential awareness that something far greater than ourselves, some Great Unknown, is imminent.

      It has been 49 years since Spielberg redefined the future-focused sci-fi genre with Close Encounters. Are these the same aliens we were introduced to then, just hidden away? It's certainly possible. They possess the same stereotypical slender, gray appearance, complete with large, dark, empty eyes, two nostrils, a rounded, upside-down triangular head, and stubby long fingers. They’re so archetypal (think of the alien