Were we ready for "Disclosure Day"?

In June of 2026, Steven Spielberg's latest sci-fi flick was released, Disclosure Day. The film has received mixed reviews, with some loving the film and others saying that it didn't live up to their expectations.

The Review

Disclosure Day follows two main characters, Daniel (Josh O'Connor) and Margaret (Emily Blunt), as they realize that they have been chosen by extraterrestrials to expose a company called Wardex. Unbeknownst to the public, Wardex has been torturing said extraterrestrials.

The film opens with Daniel, a genius mathematician, and his love interest, Jane, a former nun (Eve Hewson). Daniel is on the run from Wardex agents because he has files that reveal Wardex's wrongdoings. During opening shot the camera moves in unison with a thrown punch, this is the first example of Disclosure Day's choice to rarely keep the camera stable. It's a fitting choice for a film that largely a chase.

Meanwhile, Margaret, a weatherwoman in Kansas City, suddenly starts behaving strangely after an encounter with a red cardinal. Out of nowhere, she is able to speak and understand every language fluently, as well as read people's thoughts.

When Margaret goes to report the day's weather, she instead begins to make a clicking noise that only Daniel understands to be the language of the extraterrestrials. Following this incident, Margaret realizes that she must find Daniel, although she doesn't know why.

"It's not coming from me, it's like I'm just a passenger."

Disclosure Day also has some smaller plot lines such as Jane fighting against Wardex's control of her body through the alien technology. It also touches on how the knowledge of alien life affects her belief in God.

I found Jane to be a very interesting and complex female character. Despite no longer being a nun, she still believes in God and worries that revealing the truth of alien life could cause harm to those who are religious. She still chooses to help Daniel and tries not to let Wardex's control hurt his cause. In the end, after speaking to another nun, she realizes that the reveal of alien life doesn't have to shatter her beliefs.

The other plot follows Hugo (Coleman Domingo), the leader of those who left Wardex to disclose the truth, who works to bring Daniel and Margaret together. We learn that Hugo has a close relationship with one of the aliens which led him to leave Wardex.

Over the course of the film, we see people building a set behind him only to find that it is a recreation of Margaret's childhood home. The set is meant to help her remember her initial encounter with the aliens from her childhood. His presence acts as foreshadowing to what Margaret and Daniel must face in order to tell the truth.

The way in which Daniel and Margaret must come to terms with their encounter is, in my opinion, the most beautiful part of this film. Despite the fact that this experience caused both of them some trauma, they are still able to move on and do what's right for everyone.

Disclosure Day has a lot of great action during the chase scenes. There's a great moment where Daniel and Margaret's car is crushed by a train, it took me a moment to realize that during that moment the film's score (which was written by John Williams) had gone silent. I appreciated that the film respected the audience enough to believe that the action could stand on its own and keep people engaged.

Another great moment that showcased Emily Blunt's acting was Margaret's panic attack following this event. Not only did her acting feel realistic, but Daniel's way of helping her by using her sense of sound and touch on the strings of a piano is a genuine grounding technique.

Something that might make this film a hard watch for some is how complex it is. There are a lot of interwoven plotlines and things can get confusing if you aren't 100% engaged. My love of this film might have been affected by the fact that I take notes for films I plan to review. Disclosure Day is a film best watched in theaters with no distractions.

Its Relevance Today

When asked about Disclosure Day's genre, Spielberg noted:

“It’s my first film that will be considered science fiction that I do not consider to be science fiction. It’s much more reflective of the world as it is evolving and discoveries that are being made as we speak.”

We live in a time where real people connected to UFO research have gone missing under suspicious circumstances. Experts in UFO research have found the film to be realistic to how these types of phenomena are covered up in real life.

Disclosure Day ends on a hopeful note—again, not too far-fetched where modern life is concerned. When Margaret reveals the truth, the world, which is on the brink of nuclear war, is put at ease. The collective captivation with the truth gives them all a sense of catharsis and relief in these dark times. It seems that the extraterrestrials have special knowledge that can pull humanity out of their dire situation.

"They understand empathy as an evolutionary advantage."

While not everyone found Disclosure Day to be anything special, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I believe that it will someday be considered one of Spielberg's sci-fi masterpieces.