Steven Spielberg is arguably the greatest director of all time. I could sit here and list his classic films and then be told I missed some of his best works. Just to humor you though, JURASSIC PARK, E.T., CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, SCHINDLER’S LIST, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and my personal favorite movie of all time, JAWS are a few of the director’s masterpieces. Therefore, it’s a big deal when the director comes out with a new film. Spielberg’s newest release, DISCLOSURE DAY, doesn’t quite reach the high status of some of his great works, however, it is thrilling, suspense driven entertainment that calls back to some of the director’s early roots in filmmaking.
DISCLOSURE DAY leans into the director’s fascination with the idea that we are not alone in this world and the importance of sharing that information with the people. Rated PG-13 and with a runtime 145 minutes, DISCLOSURE DAY feels like a companion piece to CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND with a hint of E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. The mystery of the unknown is only part of the puzzle, sort of the driving force of what is going on and what is happening to our main characters played by Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor. If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?
The film focuses on two separate characters, a Kansas City meteorologist played by Emily Blunt and a scientist on the run as a whistleblower of a government cover up played by Josh O’Connor. Colin Firth plays the cold agent who will stop at nothing to prevent the truth being spread and Coleman Domingo plays the other side of that coin as the mysterious person who believes in these two as the source of powerful information and will help them expose the truth. At the center of the action, revealed at the beginning of the film, is a little more than a MacGuffin of sorts in the form of a small unearthly hand held tool that continues to reveal itself in unexplained ways.
DISCLOSURE DAY greatest asset isn’t necessarily the plot, but how it’s told or revealed. John William’s score pushes the energy in a familiar mystical way that he does so effectively. Humor and humanity is prevalent while Spielberg clearly hits on some current day themes touching on faith and religion as a separate belief that can still be maintained teaching the importance of empathy and honesty. But for me, the stand out of the film is Emily Blunt who runs a gambit of emotions and relatable character choices that feel alive and magnetic. Every time she comes on screen the film lifts to another level through her talent and charisma. I believe she is one of the main factors why the film ultimately works.
However, DISCLOSURE DAY doesn’t always quite reach the quality of filmmaking of Spielberg’s older films, but that’s okay. It feels like a closer return to that fashion. There are odd choices like hiding in near plain site behind a see-through fence while several agents have their back turned not seeing a character is laughable and maybe intentionally. But it’s the not knowing and the attempt to understand what’s happening that makes DISCLOSURE DAY enjoyable. While some moments are powerful and magical almost in their reveal or strangeness, I’m curious how effective or rewatchable they will be on second viewing. These observations are necessarily bad or good, but might be the little things that take an audience member out of the picture if they are over-hyped for Spielberg’s next new film. My advice, sit back, enjoy the magic, and let DISCLOSURE DAY thrill the sense like a warm familiar blanket from one of our greatest directors.
