The icon himself is back. I'd argue there isn't a filmmaker more iconic than Steven Spielberg, and now he's back to the sci-fi genre with Disclosure Day. This is his first time dabbling in the genre since 2018's Ready Player One, and it seems him going back to movies about extra-terrestrials, the subject that really cemented him in the genre's canon.
Disclosure Day follows Josh O'Connor as Danny, a cybersecurity expert on the run from his employer as he and a team of fellow deserters seek to disclose the truth about alien life to the world. As Danny seeks to put the truth out there, a weather reporter, Margaret (Emily Blunt), begins experiencing strange phenomena allowing her to read minds and speak in languages she doesn't know. Their paths inevitable cross as they seek to show the truth to the world, all while Colin Firth's antagonistic Scanlon seeks to put a stop to their whistleblowing.
This is a film that throws a lot at you, and at times that does work to its detriment. There are plotlines including one surrounding a looming world war that are pretty undercooked thanks to how much Spielberg and writer David Koepp are tackling narratively. That leads to a lot of the runtime feeling pretty messy, but for some reason it still works. I think that just goes to show how remarkable of a filmmaker Spielberg still is, as despite the messy narrative I found myself gripped from start to finish. There's something about the mystery and espionage elements of the film that keep your attention, but I was pleasantly surprised at Spielberg's ability to keep his sense of sentimentality. This isn't a tug at your heartstrings kind of movie like E.T., but it very delicately balances the thrilling tension of Danny being chased with the whimsy and wonder of the possibilities of alien life and technology.
A large part of why that tonal balance works so well is the work of John Williams. I don't know how many more films we'll get from Williams, but he remains one of the greats. In the tense moments this score is thrilling, but then it will shift to something beautiful in those moments of awe. The Spielberg-Williams duo is responsible for some of the most magical cinematic moments we've ever seen, and their ability to still make me feel that way now is something pretty special. I also must shoutout the cinematography from Janusz Kamiński, another frequent Spielberg collaborator. Stylistically Disclosure Day feels very much like the sci-fi of the mid-2000s, bringing a feeling of nostalgia to this fresh story. Even aside from that contemporarily interesting style, he also just shoots this brilliantly.
I was a bit hesitant when it came to some cast members early on, but as the film progressed I was pretty blown away. O'Connor cements himself as a leading man, delivering some of his best work and a character you are rooting for from start to finish. Blunt's performance feels a bit off in her introduction but quickly becomes one of the standout performances of the year in how she balances fear with a sense of curiosity. In a similar vein but somewhat to the sidelines is Eve Hewson as Danny's girlfriend, a character not only battling with the existence of alien life but also with the internal conflict that has with her religion. Colin Firth is a great villain, giving us a character we never get to know a ton about but one that steals scenes pretty consistently. Lastly I loved Colman Domingo here, with his character giving the whistleblowing operation a comforting leader amidst all the chaos.
I do think this one has the potential to be a bit divisive, as I'd say it's easily one of Spielberg's strangest films. I do think the runtime is a bit overlong and as I mentioned before the narrative is quite messy, but there's a magic to Spielberg's filmmaking that I don't think can be overlooked, and the end result is a film I was fascinated by despite some flaws. 4/5
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