Disclosure Day Is Well-Made but Silly
I want to believe
2.5/5 stars
Aliens have long held significant meaning in the films of Steven Spielberg. Whether they represented an incomprehensible force of spiritual majesty (Close Encounters), the joy and wonder of childhood innocence (E.T.), or the fears and anxieties felt by a post-9/11 America (War of the Worlds), the aliens in his films are never just aliens. This theme continues with Disclosure Day, in which extraterrestrials represent the key to human connection and understanding in an increasingly hostile and divided world. However, despite some admirable filmmaking, that theme isn't enough to hold a shoddy story together that gets bogged down by its own ambitions.
Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) is a whistleblower who is on the run after stealing a strange otherworldly device. He and his team are desperately trying to reveal a nearly 80-year cover-up about the existence of extraterrestrials while being pursued by a ruthless government agent (Colin Firth). Their quest leads them to a television meteorologist (Emily Blunt) who seems to have a mysterious connection to Kellner and knowledge about the alien visitors that even she does not yet understand.
The film is mostly an extended chase sequence that often feels like a blockbuster from the 1990s. Sadly, the story feels stuck in that era as well, as it comes off like a mid-tier episode of The X-Files. There are some brilliant shots and expertly directed action sequences (Spielberg is still a great filmmaker), but the story suffers from the worst sentimental excesses of its director. The message of cosmic forces bringing the world together is a hopeful one, but in this age, it comes off as woefully naive.
Directed by Steven Spielberg // Written by David Koepp // Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell, Elizabeth Marvel, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Courtney Grace, Jeremy Shamos, Michael Gaston, Gabby Beans, Elliot Vilar, Tommy Martinez, Noah Robbins, and Colman Domingo // 145 minutes // Universal Pictures // Rated PG-13
