Disclosure Day (3 stars out of 4)
Lots of directors have put aliens on the big screen. But it’s something else to capture the wonder of encountering an alien in person. That’s where Steven Spielberg stands alone. Films like “ET: The Extra-Terrestrial” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” added a human element to science fiction that made them truly unforgettable.
This works for “Disclosure Day,” and it also works against it.
Spielberg’s latest film tells the story of a campaign to release classified evidence of alien encounters to the general public. Emily Blunt plays Margaret Fairchild, a weather reporter in Kansas City who has spent decades trying to suppress an alien encounter from her childhood. But after an otherwise forgettable experience at home seems to unlock a rash of supernatural abilities, she finds herself driven to hunt down a man named Daniel Kellner.
Kellner (Josh O’Connor) is a cybersecurity expert who until recently was employed by a shadowy company named Wardex. Led by an equally shadowy figure named Noah (Colin Firth), Wardex was tasked with the security of 79 years of alien encounter evidence. As we meet Daniel, he’s on the run with his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) with a backpack full of incriminating hard drives, determined to share the truth with the world.
Most of “Disclosure Day” is a race between Noah and Margaret to find Daniel. Noah, obviously, wants to stop the release, and he has an armed convoy ready to help him execute his mission with extreme prejudice. He also has a curious piece of alien technology that allows him to infiltrate the minds of people remotely to assist with his search.
For her part, Margaret is trying to make sense of her mission on the fly. Like Richard Dreyfuss in “Close Encounters,” she can’t explain where her knowledge or impulses are coming from. She just knows she has to find Daniel. Hopefully somewhere along the way she will figure out her unexplained ability to speak multiple new languages or read the minds of those she encounters.
Luckily for Margaret and Daniel, they are not alone in their quest. Daniel is part of a conspiracy of ex-Wardex employees led by a man named Hugo (Colman Domingo) who are preparing for the big disclosure event, and to add to the tension, Daniel’s phone calls with Hugo take place while people are constructing what looks like a movie set in the background.
All the elements are there for a standard quality Spielberg outing, but a flawed script drops “Disclosure Day” to the second tier of the director’s alien adventures, more “War of the Worlds” than “Close Encounters,” and nowhere near the emotional heights of “ET.” The third act is the real problem here. Without spoiling anything specific, it’s hard to believe that what happens would actually happen the way it is portrayed. In fact, the events of the third act almost feel like they could (or should?) drive an entire movie on their own.
But “Disclosure Day” deserves its credit, though, and not just for Spielberg’s usual craftsmanship. There’s plenty of tension and artistry and strong performances to go around, and a thoughtful scene between Jane and a former mentor shows a respect to people of religious faith that feels pretty rare in post-COVID Hollywood. The first two acts are a lot of fun, but act three is just so-so.
Altogether the good outweighs the questionable, and “Disclosure Day” should be a fun ride for anyone OK with a film that won’t rank with Spielberg’s all-time best.
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“Disclosure Day” is rated PG-13 for action violence and scattered profanity.