'Disclosure Day' Review: Spielberg still has the magic

Add another mantle to Spielberg’s already star-studded shelf. Disclosure Day is assuredly a top ten film of his and delivered exactly what I expected and hoped from it. Spielberg does indeed still have that magic, this time combining the thrilling nature of Minority Report with the extraterrestrial mystery that Close Encounters of the Third Kind delivered all those years ago. This is a chase thriller, on a much larger, sweeping scale than either of those movies, and is able to balance, for the most part, the high-stakes action and science fiction elements with its themes. This movie isn’t really about aliens, however. It’s about people choosing what to believe in and who to put their faith in. The aliens reside only in the background, quietly driving the narrative forward with breakneck momentum. They are the catalysts of the story, not its focus, for the bulk of the runtime.

The thriller conspiracy nature of Disclosure Day exhilarated me the most. The film springs between confrontations, chase scenes, and rousing moments skillfully without losing any of its stakes. The burning desire the audience feels while witnessing what it is the lead characters are fighting to be disclosed reflects what everyone in the real world also wants, so it is easy to quickly be sucked into the narrative. Spielberg also throws some great mystery and sci-fi elements into the fray too. It’s all so interesting; these aspects heighten the intensity but also pique the interest of the viewer. You’re uncovering the rules as the movie progresses, catching on to what’s going on here or there, which all really envelop you into the minds of the characters and overall plot.

Disclosure Day also reaches for ideas Spielberg hasn’t explored in his previous science fiction work, and that’s because it’s a work that is very much a discussion on today’s world, touching upon and leaning into this factor the most. Where E.T. and Close Encounters feel whimsical and filled with a wondrous, curious nature, Disclosure Day feels the most realistic. This is something that could actually happen, something that may have a good chance of happening, in fact. The aforementioned movies don’t make you think about them with such an analytical lens. Within Disclosure Day, you are always deliberating on the ramifications, causes, etc of each action. And the question isn’t the well-trodden, “are we alone in the universe?” Spielberg has already answered that inquiry before. What he asks here is if that answer is something that should be kept private, or if the public really is ready for such revelations to be revealed, and he very much takes a side regarding those proceedings.

The only place Disclosure Day shows true faults is in some character logic moments. This comes specifically at points where characters should escape, but don’t, or do escape, when they should not have been able to. But it’s not like I didn’t like these moments, either. Even with holes, Spilebering always layers something on top that gives it meaning. The man doesn’t do anything without a purpose. But the script could have used some work to tighten the gaps around these soft points. A simple sprinkling of more depth would have elevated the film to true masterpiece status, since they do crop up quite a bit.

What is masterful in Disclosure Day, nonetheless, is the pure craft of it. Spielberg’s blocking has not lost a step over 50+ years, and his visual style is still top tier. There are even a couple of oners in here that give way to some great immersion alongside the already great camerawork throughout. Combine that with the lighting and lens flares that absolutely rip, and you have a film that moves with liveliness, which only helps to ratchet up the tension and suspense of the story. Emily Blunt is the standout performer. She scrambles together the feelings of confusion but also nearly unlimited vast knowledge brilliantly while also showcasing the personal and psychological effects of her state. She makes the movie, and breathes believability into something that should not be believable at all. And you can’t forget about John Williams. I don’t need many words to tell you that he has produced yet another outstanding score.

Unfortunately, Disclosure Day’s marketing was not the kindest to it. The very first piece of news that came out regarding it was that it is a UFO movie, which it continues to be described as. It is not that at all. That’s what Close Encounters is. The marketing was misleading in this way, giving this the feel of comprising many prominent alien sequences when those brief, otherworldly moments should have been saved for the movie-watching experience only. Imagine walking into the film with just the knowledge of it being a government conspiracy thriller without having a clue of the true nature of it. I can tell you as a guarantee it would be much better received. Instead, the very first trailer released literally gave away scenes from the final minutes of the film. So much for there being no footage released from the third act, Spielberg…

Even so, Spielberg has shown once again why he’s the greatest director of all time. The elevating final half hour of Disclosure Day had his fingerprints all over it, and it’s only something that he could pull off. It reminded me of his past films, flickering with vintage Spielberg magic, leaving me on the verge of tears. It cuts to black at the perfect moment, giving credence to the fact that the film wasn’t about the aliens. By keeping the visitors and their intentions in the shadows, it sticks the landing by proving the narrative’s strength relies entirely on the fascination and shock of the world left in the aftermath of full disclosure.