ReelBob: ‘Disclosure Day’ ★★★
By Bob Bloom
Steven Spielberg always seems to have a benevolent attitude toward aliens; his feelings about humanity — especially government, shadow agencies or scientific officials — have grown darker as he ages.
1977’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” was an optimistic experience as aliens and human scientists and officials used lights, music and sound to bridge the communications gap.
Five years later, Elliott, with an assist from family and friends, helps a stranded alien return home. In “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” the diminutive alien is hounded by government agents who, though a bit ham-fisted, basically want to help E.T.
Now comes “Disclosure Day,” a fast-paced combination of Spielberg’s optimism about the grace and empathy of unearthly visitors and his disdain for the extreme measures fearful government agencies will use to keep the rest of us from learning the truth — that we are not alone in the universe.
Despite his aversion toward those trying to keep the truth hidden, “Disclosure Day” is a movie about hope and faith; with Spielberg putting his trust in humanity’s ability to handle the truth without fear or hysterics.
“Disclosure Day” harkens back to movies Spielberg directed in the early parts of his career, providing a sense of awe and enjoyment that enticed moviegoers to return again and again to the theater. And even with a 145-minute running time, the film’s action hardly lets up.
The movie is part-chase, part-suspense thriller. The hunted in this case is Josh O’Connor’s Daniel Kellner, a former employee of the shadowy private cybersecurity company, WARDEX, tasked with keeping secret all the information collected over the last seven-plus decades about UFOs — or UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) — from the public, fearing it would create worldwide panic and disruptions.
The plot certainly is timely, especially with the U.S. government’s order to release many of the files on UFOs that have been kept under wraps for many, many years.
Anyway, Kellner is captured, escapes with his girlfriend, Jane (a spunky Eve Hewson), and goes on the run with the data and recordings that a former WARDEX official, Hugo Wakefield, played by Colman Domingo, wants to release for the entire world to see.
Meanwhile, in Kansas City, MO, local weather reporter Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), is having problems of her own. After seeing a cardinal fly into the apartment she shares with her boyfriend, Jackson (Wyatt Russell), she begins speaking Russian, then Korean, and knowing personal details about strangers.
More importantly, she begins knowing things about Daniel and begins a journey to find — and connect — with him.
All the while, Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), the sinister head of WARDEX, has his agents pursue them, while using an alien device to glean information about their whereabouts.
And while most of the main characters lack depth, it is the film’s emotional resonance, that propels it. Daniel and Margaret simply are ordinary folk, compelled for reasons that sometimes even they cannot fathom, to get Daniel’s files to Margaret’s TV station where it eventually can be broadcast for all the world to see.
“Disclosure Day” is a sentimental journey that, at times, displays Spielberg’s uncanny ability to keep audiences involved, drawing them into his characters and story — whether or not you believe in UFOs and visitors from other planets.
For “Disclosure Day,” it’s not the outcome that matters as much as the process to grip us — and, perhaps, make us ponder the universe while being entertained.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom, on Facebook at ReelBob.com and on Bluesky at @bobbloom1948.bsky.social or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
DISCLOSURE DAY
3 stars out of 4
(PG-13), bloody images, action violence, strong language