Spielberg serves up a plethora of concepts, from the use of alien technology, to the notion that visits from aliens long ago planted the seeds that culminated in these momentous events. Any fan of his work knows his winning ways: frenetic setups as characters crash along toward their destiny. Propulsive machine-gun dialogue. Characters who start childlike, naive, and fresh-faced and gosh, are they going to see some stuff! Lens flare, smoke, and kinetic camera work pull the viewer along for the ride. Spielberg loves the Whitley Strieber Communion aliens we all recognize, and they look the same here as they did in Close Encounters. It’s been a while since Spielberg wowed us, and so this film may serve as the Gen Z/Gen Alpha introduction to his magic.
Catholicism figures prominently in this film. Jane is an ex-nun whose crisis of faith is resolved by two words from her spiritual mentor, Sister Maura (Elizabeth Marvel): “On Earth.” She has reconciled her faith with the possibility that we might not be the only intelligence in the universe.
There’s a four-way cage match for main character in Disclosure Day. Of course the film belongs to Emily Blunt, who delivers a performance that is as surprising as it is powerful. We’ve known that she’s a talented actress, but she shows a level of skill and emotional range here that takes her work to the the next level. A couple of levels up, in fact. Josh O’Connor is a promising rising star. From his compelling turn as a priest in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, to Challengers, to La Chimera, he’s hitting on all cylinders. Colin Firth is an anchor actor who can ground any script with his clipped, aristocratic accent, and his calm demeanor in intense dramatic moments.
“… an allegory for our violent response when faced with new truths …”
Rounding out these cardinal points of awesome is Eve Hewson, daughter of U2 singer Bono, who caught Spielberg’s eye with her performance in TV series Bad Sisters. Another mighty presence that can’t be denied is Colman Domingo. He has become a reliable indicator that you’re in a quality joint. Domingo brings to bear the most crucial emotion of the film: empathy. It seeps from his pores and surrounds him in an aura of good will. His performance is like a hug. It’s also delightful to see Wyatt Russell in the first half of the film, but his character literally gets dumped just as the narrative is picking up steam.
Disclosure Day is a fun, adventurous summer thriller about extra-terrestrials, but it’s also an allegory for our violent response when faced with new truths. In a heartfelt appeal for empathy, Spielberg takes a deep look at how we treat those we see as “other.” It’s also a wake up call about human dependence on outmoded belief systems, and our fragility of spirit when they are challenged. Go for the thrills and chills and come away with thoughts to ponder in the days after you see it.
Spielberg echoes here a thought from the Carl Sagan inspired film Contact, regarding the possibility of extra-terrestrial intelligence: “…there are four hundred billion stars out there, just in our galaxy alone… If it is just us… seems like an awful waste of space.”
"…a fun, adventurous summer thriller about extra-terrestrials"
