Disclosure Day: A Nostalgic Return to Spielberg’s Little Grey Men

A brief review with no spoilers

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When I first saw the trailers for Disclosure Day, I thought we were headed for a sappy mess of a film that has huge ambition but is just there to put popcorn in my mouth. What I walked away from the theater with was a profound nostalgia for why Stephen Spielberg is one of my favorite directors of all time. The film has heart, action, and a premise that should feel cheesy, but somehow isn’t. It’s been almost fifty years since Stephen Spielberg released Close Encounters of the Third Kind and somehow, over the intervening years, that DNA has not been lost.

The mystery behind Disclosure Day is a simple one: What if a paramilitary organization had all the evidence of alien life and someone wanted to share that with the world. In a lot of ways, it parallels Close Encounters but with a spin that fits the world we’re in much better. Given the recent disclosures of UAP (a more boring word for UFOs) sightings from the US Government, some of this doesn’t feel far off reality. There are even a few clips interspersed throughout the film that look like they could be real UAP footage to help sell the premise.

And then in typical Spielberg/Koepp (the writer) fashion, things quickly get far from reality at a blinding pace. There is no Jaws buildup here, the film is willing to show its hand early, and it works. There’s still a mystery unfolding throughout the runtime, but it’s not the aliens. Still, the tension remains high and the action intense. The film has plenty of CGI, but manages to stay grounded. There are a few practical effects sequences in the film that feel on par or better than some of Spielberg’s previous work.

Capping it off is one of Emily Blunt’s best performances, and that’s a high watermark. She is the film’s comedic relief at times and then deadpan serious at others. Her character is the grounding factor that the otherwise over-the-top premise needs and kept me engaged throughout. Josh O’Connor was very fun to watch, even if it feels like a role I’ve seen him in before. Likewise, Colin Firth is the perfect foil, delightfully arch and calculating, and makes for an excellent antagonist.

It’s no secret that Spielberg is one of my primary influences as a writer. His films inspired me as a child that made me want to go and create my own fantastic worlds and pushed the limits of what was possible. Disclosure Day feels like a return to that big, summer box office magic that I’ve missed. It’s not a perfect movie by any metric, but it is a damned good one. I’ll be curious to rewatch it on a smaller screen and see if it has the same impact.

So, if you’re looking for a good summer popcorn flick, go check out Disclosure Day. It’s a classic sci-fi action film with a unique twist and great acting. I recommend getting out to see it in a theater if you can. This feels like the kind of movie that was made for the biggest screen possible and it definitely contributes to its impact. Now, if you’ll excuse me, this has inspired me to get back to writing the sequel for One Night at Kedasi.

4/5 Stars – It’s been a long time since little grey men were this compelling

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Did you see Disclosure Day? What did you think? Let’s talk about it in the comments.