Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: David Koepp

Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell

Close encounters of a familiar kind.

As solid as his recent output’s been, something’s undoubtedly felt different about Steven Spielberg’s filmography over the past decade or so. From Warhorse to The Post to Ready Player One, the latter part of the director’s career has certainly had some variety to it, yet little of it has delivered that peerless Spielberg magic in the way his classic efforts from decades past regularly would.

Of course, you can’t knock the guy for trying things out and dabbling with his formula. Christ, if any director has earned the right to experiment with his craft, it’s Steven flipping Spielberg. However, even if his form of late has been rather erratic, you’ve got to believe that he’s got at least one stone cold classic Spielberg movie left in him before he retires (if indeed that ever becomes a thing).

So, while the premise, buzz, and marketing all suggest Disclosure Day may well be that film, can it actually deliver on its promise?

If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? A former journalist turned TV meteorologist, Margaret (Emily Blunt), crosses paths with cybersecurity analyst, Daniel (Josh O’Connor), who possesses highly incriminating information he needs the world to see. The pair, along with disclosure advocate, Hugo (Colman Domingo), embark on a mission to reveal the existence of alien life to the world — all while being pursued by a shady government contractor (Colin Firth) determined to keep it all buried.

Landing somewhere between Minority Report, E.T., A.I., and Close Encounters of a Third Kind, there’s something so classically Steven Spielberg about Disclosure Day that it feels like a timely reminder of just what the director can do when in his element. Of course, there’s an argument to be made that we shouldn’t actually need reminding of who Spielberg is or what he can do, however, it’s been such a long time since we’ve witnessed the Spielberg magic in full flow that Disclosure Day’s arrival feels positively vital, despite its obvious flaws.

Feeling like an amalgam of Spielberg’s most notable works, Disclosure Day is the kind of big, broad, thrillingly entertaining sci-fi blockbuster that swiftly became a trademark of Steven Spielberg’s career at its peak. Effectively blending the warm, hopeful spirit of Spielberg’s early work with the colder, more cynical edge that’s marked the latter portion of his career, Disclosure Day plays like a Spielberg greatest hits set and arguably one of his better efforts in some time.

With the world on the brink of all-out war and Josh O’Connor’s Daniel Kellner on the run from the shifty Wardex Corporation, we’re firmly in classic conspiracy thriller territory here as Spielberg depicts a world torn apart by division, distrust, and lies. It’s a world not a million miles from our own, and in these opening moments, you can really feel Spielberg’s despair and anger at it all bubbling to the surface.

In its opening act, the film’s tone is bleak, cold, and cynical in a way that anyone familiar with latter Spielberg works like Bridge of Spies and The Post will recognise. It is, however, just the start of the Disclosure Day story, as it’s dark beginnings eventually give way to a form of naive, childlike hope that would’ve felt at home with the likes of E.T. and Close Encounters, before landing on a blend of tones that feel surprisingly satisfying.

Belief, hope, and the healing power of empathy are strong prevailing themes within Disclosure Day, and while there are certainly ambiguities, cynicism, and scepticism to be found along the way, it’s hard not to find yourself swept up in the film’s overriding sense of positivity. Some may find such levels of hope a tad too overripe and over-sincere, yet in the inimitable hands of Steven Spielberg, not only does it work, but there’s a welcoming, almost overwhelming, warm glow to Disclosure Day that’s incredibly irresistible.

Sure, there are plenty of moments where David Koepp’s script is just too clunky and ham-fisted and the dialogue too silly for its own good, however, despite such issues, there’s an earnestness and a push for honesty, kindness, and empathy within it all that’s hard to deny. It also helps that, at every step, Spielberg finds a way, by hook or by crook, to keep you locked in for the UFO ride.

Rattling by at a rate of knots and underpinned by a propulsive sense of intrigue, Disclosure Day’s plot is a masterfully constructed slice of high concept blockbuster cinema. With conspiracy, mystery, and a healthy dose of wonder at every turn, in the most Spielbergian way possible, Disclosure Day knows precisely how to keep you entertained and glued to your seat, and while the plot certainly has its wobbles as it comes into land, the ride is an utterly thrilling one overall.

Strung along by a typically stirring John Williams score, the film rides high on its mightily enjoyable blend of conspiracy thriller action and sci-fi wonderment in a way that only a Steven Spielberg film can, often doing its best to override Disclosure Day’s nagging issues. Whether it’s the shaky dialogue, the sometimes questionable CGI, or the frequent leaps in logic, there are undoubtedly several problems with Disclosure Day that threaten to derail it, yet the film finds a way through it all with its heart, adventurous spirit, and willingness to put entertainment and empathy first.

Helped by a highly committed and wonderfully compassionate performance from Emily Blunt alongside a very strong and very likeable cast that includes the likes of Josh O’Connor, Colman Domingo, and Colin Firth in rare villainous form, despite its issues, Disclosure Day is impossible to dislike and exactly the kind of hopeful slice of open-minded blockbuster cinema we really could do with more of right now.

For better or worse, this is an extremely old fashioned movie. Thematically, narratively, even visually, it feels pulled from a different era entirely. To some, such a throwback outlook and nostalgic energy will feel outdated and basic, to others it will feel refreshingly simple and endearingly earnest in a way that marked Spielberg’s early filmography out from the crowd. Very much an amalgamation of all his biggest hits, Disclosure Day puts itself up against Spielberg’s most iconic flicks, and while it’s certainly doesn’t hold a candle to the director’s greatest work, it’s undoubtedly one of his better efforts of late.

Hitting somewhere between Close Encounters and Minority Report, Disclosure Day feels like an amalgam of Steven Spielberg’s greatest hits. It’s a proper sci-fi blockbuster thrill ride that effectively marries the warm, hopeful spirit of its director’s early work with the more cold, cynical side that’s marked the latter part of his career. Sure, the writing is ham fisted, the plotting overly familiar, and the dialogue often clumsy, yet Disclosure Day makes for one hell of a ride overall and never less than gripping throughout.

Disclosure Day is in cinemas now.