Steven Spielberg has been exploring the topic of extraterrestrial life since the early days of his career. We saw the childlike wonder of extraterrestrial life in E.T. and in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We saw the horrifying terror that alien life can bring in War of the Worlds. But the questions that he has not asked is how humanity as a whole reacts to alien life and can we be trusted with their knowledge. How would it affect the government, religious institutions, everyday life, etc? To that Spielberg doesn’t offer any easy answers but he does make you contemplate them with his latest feature, Disclosure Day.
Daniel (Josh O’Connor, Challengers), a cybersecurity expert, becomes a whistleblower to reveal secrets about alien life. Which puts him on the run from a powerful corporation. While Margaret (Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada) a meteorologist experiences strange phenomena and joins forces with him to prove there is life beyond our small blue planet.
If you are expecting Disclosure Day to follow Spielberg’s previous works about aliens, you may be in for a shock. Disclosure Day is not about the spectacle of discovering alien life. Deep down, much of humanity in Disclosure Day believes that we are not alone in the universe; there just is not any proof of it. However, most of humanity is not thinking about that as the world stands on the brink of World War III. Basic reasoning and empathy have gone out the window, leaving everyone caught in the middle terrified of nuclear war. So the question Spielberg asks is this: is there something that could bring reasoning back to humanity, and can we handle the truth? The answers are not that simple.
The basic narrative structure of Disclosure Day is that of a chase film. We follow Daniel and Margaret on the run through the American Midwest as they try to disclose the existence of alien life to the public. Along the way, they face government agents with orders to kill on sight, uncover a traumatizing experience from their past, and ask questions such as, “If humanity was shown proof of alien existence, how would we react?” It is as thrilling as it is thematically interesting, though it is admittedly messy.
It is clear what Disclosure Day is about, and it is by no means subtle with its messaging. However, for all of the questions it asks, Disclosure Day does not really do anything interesting with them. While I can respect not answering every question that it raises, the film never truly debates them. It simply asks these questions and then leaves them hanging.
The only reason there is any sense of these questions being debated comes through the direction of Steven Spielberg. Spielberg proves yet again that he is one of the greatest directors of all time. He directs the hell out of this film and its ensemble cast. There are moments where he makes you hold your breath in anticipation and others that leave you tearing up in pure awe. If Disclosure Day had not been directed by Steven Spielberg, the film very well might have rung hollow.
Overall, Disclosure Day is an enthralling film, even if it never fully reaches its potential. For all of its thematic ambitions, the film often struggles to engage with the very questions it raises. Yet through Spielberg’s direction, those questions remain compelling long after the credits roll. What can bring humanity together again? Can humanity handle the truth? In classic Spielberg fashion, there are no easy answers. Instead, Disclosure Day leaves its audience with uncertainty, wonder, and the uncomfortable realization that the greatest mystery may not be whether we are alone in the universe, but whether we are capable of understanding one another.
My Rating: B
Disclosure Day in now in theaters nationwide.
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