DISCLOSURE DAY
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, and Elizabeth Marvel
Director: Steven Spielberg
NICK
Every Steven Spielberg directed film is going to have hype, but more so when he returns to the world of sci-fi. Yet, Disclosure Day still managed to exceed my expectations. Unlike his previous alien-centric films, the focus here is humanity and its ability to handle the knowledge of life on other planets. It's an idea often explored through religion, and it’s captivating. The chase elements (featuring dynamic camerawork) are thrilling, the performances are top-notch, and it has an overwhelming message of hope and optimism that left me unexpectedly moved. It’s not hyperbole to say this is the best work Spielberg has put forth in decades.
AMARÚ
Director Steven Spielberg decided it was about time to remind everyone who the king of the summer blockbuster is. With Disclosure Day, he drops you right into the fray and says “go.” What ensues is a masterclass of exciting action with epic cinematography, awe-filled wonder surrounding the question if we’re alone in the universe, and thought-provoking conversations about societal, religious, and moral standing in regard to the capacity of human empathy. Josh O’Connor is a great inquisitive conduit for these themes, but it’s Emily Blunt who left me speechless with her full range of emotion that carries the breathtaking gravity of this vastly entertaining film.
ADRIANO
While not without its setbacks, director Steven Spielberg takes a late-stage approach to one of his most notable subjects in the most Spielbergian ways imaginable. Disclosure Day’s question of what humanity would do in the wake of a worldwide existential revelation doesn’t get an answer, at least not a concrete one. But Spielberg’s humanistic approach is more about exploration, and for all its messiness, it culminates in a finale that’s an emotional powerhouse in a way I can’t explain. And that’s all with an outstanding Emily Blunt performance and thrilling set pieces that show Spielberg’s still got it.
QUENTIN
While it has some singular moments, Disclosure Day feels incomplete, coming across as undercooked and obvious. So much of the core story’s plot and character development are relegated to quick-pass references and inferences that it’s hard to find any emotional investment. Between that, the underexplored themes, one-dimensional characters, and a somewhat cliffhanger-ish ending, it’s like watching only the last three episodes of a much longer season of television. Emily Blunt is terrific, and the action scenes — a train scene, in particular — bring some summer blockbuster flair; however, it’s not enough to fully save Disclosure Day from being a relatively sluggish self-plagiarization from director Steven Spielberg.
KATIE
Disclosure Day might be the most Spielbergian director Steven Spielberg has ever been, and that is absolutely a good thing. With childlike innocence, aliens, and the theme of empathy as humanity's foremost strength, it's a welcome antidote to cynicism and ignorance. It’s old-fashioned in its sincere idealism and big-hearted ideas, with expertly crafted suspense, exhilarating action set pieces, and a faultless cast, including an absolute star performance from Emily Blunt and a wonderfully wicked Colin Firth. One of my few criticisms is that I think it shows too much, and Spielberg’s previous genre-defining films prove that sometimes less is more. Nonetheless, Disclosure Day is pure big-screen entertainment.
Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick and Adriano join Amarú to take A Bigger Bite out of Disclosure Day HERE.