Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Whenever I see any recent UFO's or UAP's footage, I am less than thrilled and feel I have been conned. Everything is grainy, out-of-focus or simply a case of people who refuse to get to close to anything resembling an alien because, in a sense, it lends credibility for some and for others it just proves the visual evidence is hogwash. "Disclosure Day" sort of mimics the grainy, black-and-white and out-of-focus footage during its grand finale - I think it is suggesting that any real disclosures of alien intelligence suppressed by the government will be far more glorious, unimaginable footage than any movie can provide. There's not much in "Disclosure Day" that you haven't seen before yet there is enough here to provide intrigue and entertainment value until, well, we will see.
A young whistleblower and cybersecurity expert named Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) is being chased by the secret government agency, Wardex Corporation, because he has stolen files copied to thumb drives that holds over 70 years' worth of visual proof of extra-terrestrials on this planet. He's on the run with his exhausted girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson), a former novitiate, and they hide in a nunnery and then some house in the middle of a rural area that surely can be pinpointed by the government in seconds.
Meanwhile, a Kansas City meteorologist, Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), with bigger aspirations to become a news anchor, has a moment live on air where she makes clicking sounds and then collapses. It is not a language anyone can understand except for Wardex and the fugitive doctor who immediately get wind of this situation - the language is extra-terrestrial. Wyatt Russell is Jackson, Margaret's boyfriend, who has no idea what is going on and is in constant disbelief over Margaret's amazing psychic abilities that have been dormant for some time. They too go on the run when Margaret realizes she has a connection to Daniel. I sensed a little throwback to Spielberg's "The Sugarland Express" here but I digress.
"Disclosure Day" is a Steven Spielberg chase picture and who else can do this like nobody's business. Spielberg and writer David Koepp allow time for some introspection and philosophies over Daniel's wanting to disclose the files online - would it cause a national discussion and interest in what the government has been hiding from us all along? And what about those who follow any religion and have faith in God, would this cause a rupture in their religious belief system that only humans exist in the universe? These are fascinating questions that are brought up but never exactly followed through. What would the existence of alien life actually do to us in our planet? Would people even care in 2026? My suspicion is, unfortunately, no.
There are some unnerving scenes with Colin Firth as the Wardex CEO Noah Scanlon, who can telepathically communicate with Margaret and Jane thanks to an alien wand of sorts. This wand can cause him pain and turns his eyes black or turquoise blue, and Firth conveys that tension beautifully. All this is to gather information on the whereabouts of our protagonists which begs the question, what sort of alien "thingy" is this? The most unnerving and scary moment that gave me major goosebumps is when Jane is almost held in a trance and pierces her hand with a crucifix while Scanlon confronts her telepathically.
There are some hair-raising moments including a freight train and a car (recalling Spielberg's own "Duel") that had me holding on to my seat in ways that only Spielberg can manage to. "Disclosure Day" is solidly entertaining and never feels long, always keeping one invested and interested in knowing where the eventual cosmic revelations will lead us to. I felt closer to the strenuous emotions of Margaret and Jane than I ever did to Dr. Kellner, who always seemed a little aloof and uncertain. I like the inclusion of Wyatt Russell as Jackson and he has some good comic lines of bewilderment, though he's unfairly cut out of the film midway through. This is Spielberg's more frenetic approach to his "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it has already raised discussions on its religious themes and whether we are getting close to a real-life alien disclosure. Perhaps. Any day now?
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