'Disclosure Day' Review: Spellbinding Spielberg Sci-Fi
Steven Spielberg and the sci-fi genre has proven to be a match made in heaven for decades. Fortunately, this continues to be a winning combination in Disclosure Day, a spellbinding sci-fi adventure that continues to show the beloved director operating at the height of his powers.
‘Disclosure Day’ centers on a television meteorologist named Margaret (Emily Blunt) and a cybersecurity administrator named Daniel (Josh O’ Connor) who are racing against the clock to expose an extraterrestrial conspiracy with ties to the government as they attempt to reveal the existence of extraterrestrial life to the entire world. Joining O’Connor and Blunt in this star-studded cast is Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell, Colin Firth and Eve Hewson. Spielberg has assembled a murderer’s row of talent for a sci-film that is sure to spark countless discussions.
Spielberg has fortunately tapped new, exciting talent to board his film and his choices, as always, are top-notch. O’ Connor is completely locked in here, selling the paranoia, excitement, wonder and fear Daniel is experiencing as he’s not only attempting to remove the wool from the world’s eyes, but come to terms with abilities he can’t quite explain. Firth is also delivering superb work as the film’s central antagonist Noah, the head of an organization determined to keep the truth securely shuttered. In another actor’s hands, this could’ve been a thankless, one-note role, but in Firth’s he’s able to make this man more emotionally complex than audiences will expect. However, Blunt’s central performance is worth the price of admission alone.
Blunt is simply remarkable here, showcasing an emotional and physical dexterity that is dizzying to say the least. She carries the film effortlessly on her shoulders, not only successfully becoming its beating heart, but selling every fascinating facet of Margaret’s confusing, arduous, and breathtaking journey in her search to discover why she has her newfound abilities and where they may take her. Blunt is so fiercely committed here, never wavering remotely for even a second, delivering one of the finest performances of her career to date. It doesn’t hurt that she’s being guided by one of the finest directors around, one who continues to demonstrate why he’s one of the best to ever pick up a camera.
Spielberg’s direction is electric here, elevating screenwriter David Koepp’s script considerably, giving every scene his classic visual panache that never seems to bore or possess diminishing returns in the slightest. His blocking remains immaculate, handled with care, thought and gusto in each and every frame, making every moment feel propulsive. Whether it’s an intense and emotional exchange between characters or an action set piece, it all has that iconic and unmistakable Spielberg flair that glues the viewer to the silver screen. Spielberg has always been passionate about extraterrestrial life and the viewer is able to feel his passion, curiosity and heart permeate every frame, his affinity and deep emotional interest in the topic an asset rather than a detriment that gets in the way of the storytelling.
Koepp’s script is mostly very effective here, handling the tone deftly and consistently throughout. This is a sci-fi film that feels like a wonderfully complex and often emotionally compelling three-way conversation between ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’, ‘Minority Report’ and ‘The Post’. While Close Encounters may have posed the question as to whether or not mankind is truly alone, this film not only firmly answers that question but goes one step further in asking how the world would react if proof of extraterrestrial life came to light. He explores this question thoroughly in highly engaging and thought provoking exchanges between the film’s core characters, tacking the question from an emotional, political and even spiritual perspective. He makes the wise choice in not trying to answer the question for the audience but instead investigate the possibilities as they draw their own conclusions. Ultimately, this is a sci-fi film that is as eye-opening as it is painfully hopeful. However, as with many of Koepp’s scripts, not everything hits the mark.
Koepp’s script puts a litany of players and pieces on the board, shuffling them around and moving them forward to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, he isn’t able to always slide the film’s jigsaw pieces smoothly into place, resulting in storytelling that can be notably frustrating at times. There are supporting characters that don’t quite click or register beyond being one-dimensional, Russell’s Jackson a glaring example as he is saddled with a character who can only exude anger and confusion, but little else. There are also a handful of scenes that border on the melodramatic and sappy, feeling a little too saccharine compared to what came before. There are also some character arcs that don’t feel properly fleshed out, their final destinations not feeling fully earned. Making matters worse is lackluster CGI that threatens to yank the viewer out of the highly immersive atmosphere Spielberg has crafted, especially during the action set pieces where the blend of live action and digital elements isn’t nearly as seamless as it should be.
‘Disclosure Day’ may not be Spielberg’s finest sci-fi entry, but it’s certainly one of his most profound. This is a highly captivating ticking clock thriller that sees the maestro firing on all cylinders, wielding the same pinpoint precision and rock-solid confidence that not only continues to instill trust in the audience, but allow them to see the possibility of extraterrestrial life from his achingly hopeful and infectiously curious point of view. Simply put, if the revered director wants to continue making films about aliens, there are very little reasons not be excited to see what he tackles next.