'Disclosure Day' Review
- Trevor Leavell
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Release Date: 06/12/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Drama. Mystery. SciFi. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated PG13.
Distributor: Universal Pictures.
The Verdict: A Must-See
What does truth mean to you? Is my truth the same as yours? Is there one objective truth? What we know today might not even add up to half of what we know tomorrow. Our knowledge of the world and each other is growing constantly, but what about what we know beyond our world? Are we ready for that kind of revelation? These are the questions that have been a part of a 50-year cinematic mythos created by one of the greatest American filmmakers, Steven Spielberg. Being absolutely no stranger to the extra-terrestrial, Spielberg has constantly wrangled with what their existence implies; however, with his newest film Disclosure Day, he wants us to interrogate what this revelation would mean to us.
When the film opens, it’s already Go! Go! Go! We follow Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) and his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) on the run from Noah Scanlan (Colin Firth) after Daniel steals government secrets regarding the existence of life beyond Earth, which he plans on revealing to the entire world population. Meanwhile, a meteorologist, Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), travels cross-country to find Daniel after her mind is mysteriously expanded one morning after being visited by a bird that flies into her apartment. Disclosure Day hits the ground running and just never stops. There is constant building of tension, mystery, and intrigue as more and more questions arise for both the characters and the audience. So many things are shrouded in secrecy as the film goes on that moviegoers might find themselves having more questions than our own main characters. However, there are so many exciting ideas and set pieces at hand here that complement the films’ central mysteries so much more compellingly.
Not to mention just how wonderfully weird this thing gets. As Steven introduces plots, McGuffins, and characters, some excellently conceptualized science fiction sequences rival some of Spielberg's most astonishing spectacles. It’s confounding and strange, but after the credits rolled, the film’s more emotional side revealed itself behind its esoteric front. The cast is all around wonderful. Firth feels like he is relishing in his villain turn, but the standouts of this include a passionate Colman Domingo and a performance from Emily Blunt that may be the best she’s given in her entire career.
For a filmmaker with a body of work over 50 years old, it still feels like he’s growing as a filmmaker and expanding upon ideas from his past work. You got the regular Spielberg players, an effortless and powerful John Williams score, and some of the best photography Janusz Kaminski has ever shot. Some may even consider this a soft sequel to his 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as a lot of themes, ideas, and designs are similar, but Disclosure Day still stands on its own as a science-fiction thriller that’s bound to go down as one of Spielberg’s staple films. It’s one of his most urgent films in recent memory, going from zero to sixty in the first frame, and he manages to deliver an exciting film that feels 100% Spielberg. This is by far the most essential film of the year, and quite possibly my favorite.
