- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Screenplay: David Koepp
- Story: Steven Spielberg
- Producer: Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg
- Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo
- Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski
- Editing: Sarah Broshar
- Score: John Williams
- Genre: Science fiction thriller
- Runtime: 145 minutes
Steven Spielberg is back on familiar ground with another tale of life beyond the stars. He’s helmed UFO classics like ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind‘, ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial‘, ‘War of the Worlds‘ and, er, ‘Indiana Jones 4‘. He’s clearly a true believer that we are not alone in the universe.
The film follows a whistleblower, Daniel (Josh O’Connor), on a mission to expose the shocking truth: our planet has had contact with alien lifeforms for decades and we’ve not always been the most humane hosts to our galactic brethen. Daniel reckons it’s vital this information is made public. But who’s to say it’s his right to do so? Such an earth-shattering divulgence could have the power to dismantle an already unstable society.
While on the lam, Daniel looks out the window of the abandoned farmhouse he’s laying low in. He sees deer staring into his soul as if they’re trying to convey a message telepathically. Close encounters of the herd kind? It’s not just the animals acting odd. Over in Kansas City, weather presenter Margaret (Emily Blunt) begins communicating in a language consisting of clicks live on air. Not exactly normal behaviour, so her outburst means she’s another person being pursued by the villainous Wardex Corporation.
‘Disclosure Day‘ has all the components to make a darn good caper. Namely, a top-notch cast (Blunt, O’Connor, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo), a convincing baddie (Colin Firth), Spielberg’s masterful direction and a score from John Williams. There’s a real sense of thrill and peril in the first half until the perfectly balanced house of cards comes tumbling down. A promising start gets mired in nonsense about extraterrestrial gifts and a faux revelatory moment we’re supposed to be enraptured by.
My rating: 6 / 10
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