Being a child of the 80s and 90s, Steven Spielberg had a very instrumental effect on my cinematic upbringing. Whether it’s his films about aliens, dinosaurs, WWII, or the future; he single-handedly changed what Hollywood and summer blockbusters became.
It should be an event each time he releases a new film. Even the middling movies can feel like a breath of fresh air in a sea of sequels and franchise flicks. So, I couldn’t help but feel excited about his return to a topic that helped put him on the map – Aliens.
Disclosure Day focuses on two central characters that are very important to potentially sharing the truth about extra-terrestrial life on Earth. Daniel (Josh O’Connor) is on the run from government agents. He and his girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson) are carrying flash drives that could expose secrets that have been kept for decades. Meanwhile, a local TV weather presenter, Margaret (Emily Blunt) has her life upended as she discovers radical new abilities. Leading the pursuit of the shadowy government organization is Noah (Colin Firth). He is driven to find Daniel by any means necessary.
Spielberg is a master of his craft and knows how to frame scenes and get spectacular visuals, that when paired with lighting and a great score, he makes magic. Disclosure Day continues to prove his finesse. Throughout the movie, he creates scattered scenes that feel fresh and even hold wonder.
Frequent Spielberg collaborator, John Williams is back and delivers an understated, but fitting score here. His composition really makes elements of the movie, pop. It makes the movie, frankly, better than it is.
The script really lost me. The majority of the movie is an extended chase scene between the agents and Daniel and Margaret. I’m typically all in for a cat-and-mouse game, but there was so much redundancy throughout. Almost every scene is the following: pursuit, hiding, getting caught, getting away through a deus ex machina. Rinse and repeat. At two hours 25 minutes, there are many sequences that should have seen the cutting room floor.
The movie introduces powers and devices that introduce some fun and intriguing moments, but those are quickly bypassed in short scenes, just so that we can watch more chases that feel entirely empty.
I don’t mind a slow burn movie. In fact, generally I am a fan. But there needs to be a payoff to all the anticipation created. This movie almost gets there. The reveals are interesting and the characters’ emotions feel genuine. However, just as the movie is about to get moving, it ends. Also, there’s a scene involving the agents (who really just feel like keystone cops) that made me chortle because of how silly and pointless the pursuits (and previous two hours) really felt.
Acting-wise, everyone across the board was good, but Emily Blunt and Colin Firth seemed to be the most dynamic. Emily Blunt’s character had so many moods to display as she was quickly discovering a new purpose. She really seemed to be having fun with the role. While we don’t get much background with Firth’s character, he makes him feel sincere. He displays a level of trauma and need for control with ease.
Disclosure Day is fine, but ultimately disappointing. The story wants to feel so mysterious, that it doesn’t advance much, plot-wise, for well over an hour. The vague mysteries that may be disclosed, don’t quite have the impact that this movie may have had 30 years ago. I really enjoyed the score, the visuals and performances. This movie is made of a few great scenes, but is lost in a plot that doesn’t know how to advance itself. C+
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