The legendary Steven Spielberg has a storied history of fascination with alien life and the existential question of “are we alone in the universe?” From Close Encounters, to E.T., to War of the Worlds, his exploration of the human experience reacting to the discovery of aliens has varied from empathetic wonder to sheer terror. In his new film, Disclosure Day, written by long-time Spielberg collaborator David Koepp (though Spielberg is credited for the story), he definitely leans into the empathetic wonder side. There’s an earnest attempt at trying to convince the audience that we are all human beings who can/should set aside our differences because of things greater than us. And in this divided hellscape of a world we live in, it’s a refreshing vibe.
But I do take some issue with Koepp’s incessant adherence to the processing of the discovery of alien life through the lens of religion. Like, I get it, encountering alien life would upend the worldview of Christians, and there’s a lot of Christians. I GET IT. They thought God only created us and now their perspective has shattered and that would create chaos. But in the real world (our world) I’m personally sick and tired of society being held back by religious fanatics (across ALL religions) in horrible ways on a daily basis. So it’s tough for me to empathize/connect with extended character arcs of nuns figuring out their shit. If this was reduced by 35%, I wouldn’t have had an issue. But it’s too much and thus was a turn-off thematically for me.
What I really liked and admired about Disclosure Day were three main things:
The Pace: from the first frame you are dropped into a tense thriller and it maintains that speed throughout most of the film. I had to go pee and grab some Skittles mid-way through and was running back so I wouldn’t miss much. Things happen ad a rapid pace and is a strength of the film.
Visual Aesthetic: moviegoers often complain of the trend in recent years of blockbuster films featuring boring/ugly cinematography and color. This film is so refreshing because there’s a gorgeous cinematic gloss that pours over every frame, every naturally lit window. Spielberg’s long-time (Oscar-winning) cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, delivers beautiful shots from beginning to end
Emily Blunt: In 2024 Emily Blunt received her first Oscar nomination for Oppenheimer; I think she will at least be in the conversation come next year. There are multiple harrowing scenes where I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The physical and emotional exertion was so convincing and impressive. If she’s not in the Oscar mix, I’ll be surprised and disappointed.
Every film has plot holes. Nothing is 100% bulletproof. But there are a few in this film that raise eye-brows or generate a soft chuckle: would that car really be stuck on that train that long? And worldwide news spreads that fast from a local Kansas City affiliate? But at the end of the day, they’re almost endearing because of the scope/scale/Spielberg effect. I will also quickly note that animal wildlife play a big role in this film. And I understand it’s cheaper and easier to use a CGI fox than a trained real one, but man, that fox was really jarring cuz the CGI was…..bad.
In terms of Spielberg’s overall sci-fi catalog, I would argue Disclosure Day is mid-tier: interesting, fast-paced, well shot film that’s definitely worth seeing in theaters. But I’m not sure it will stand the test of time like some of his other greats.
