REVIEW: “Disclosure Day” (2026)

(Source: Instagram) 

Steven Spielberg is no stranger to movies about aliens. Just look at Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, each of which had wonder and mystery. Not to mention a sense of magic. His 2005 remake of War of the Worlds, on the flip side, had haunting visions and fears in a post-9/11 world. Not to mention ideas on how the world might end. His latest sci-fi mystery/thriller, Disclosure Day (based on a story he wrote, and adapted for the screen by David Koepp), is his first in almost two decades to revisit probing questions on the existence of extraterrestrial life. 

The plot throws us right into the middle of a conspiracy over government secrets about aliens, with a few planning to “disclose” said information via flash drives (this movie’s MacGuffin) to the whole world and to convince them, “We are not alone in the universe.” The edge-of-your-seat narrative is a tight, on-the-run experience, with brilliant acting from the likes of Josh O'Conner, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colmon Domingo. We all know Emily Blunt is a very good actress. But in Disclosure Day, she’s so good—even when we don’t understand why she’s doing what she’s doing. Her performance is instantly one of this year’s best. The film also features engaging long takes, lense flares, a unique alien language with clicking sounds (as well as mathematics and Morse code, reportedly), and a wondrous and gripping score by the legendary John Williams. And a visual motif of pupils in eyes. 

Spielberg reminds us that he's still more than just a blockbuster director. While Disclosure Day is instantly one of this year's standout films (for better or worse), as well as a jaw-dropping cinematic experience, it's also an emotional, intense, vague, and haunting piece with characters that have checkered histories, records, childhood traumas. Characters with complex/complicated issues or motives, spheres of influence (both positive and negative), and who grapple with what they believe, what they question, and/or what they try to keep covered up (and why). It’s been a long, long time since we’ve had a film like this. And nobody but Spielberg and company could have presented it as such. It's equally magical and wondrous, almost like a fairy tale. 

More than that, Disclosure Day offers controversial questions of what releasing this information will do, especially for people of faith. (The film has already ignited criticism, especially for Christian audiences.) It doesn't so much question the existence of God, but perhaps competes with or replaces Him, in terms of other omniscient beings out there, who and what the Earth was created for, the role of evolution, and the role of faith or the lack of it (whether in God, in people, or in both). Frankly, I'm still processing these themes and ideas. I did come across a couple of resources in the past week, after seeing the film, which have been very insightful and assuring, including a podcast from Kirk Cameron and a post on Instagram from Cross Culture. I will say, the concept of divine beings versus “messengers,”with different voices and languages communicating through said vessels at random (also telepathy?) is thought-provoking. Ditto references to Luke 22:42 (“Not my will, but Yours be done”), in terms of willingness. The line that really got me was when one character refused to be worshipped like a deity: “I will not be anyone’s religion.” How's that for life-affirming? The presence of CGI animals (from deer to cardinals to foxes) is a bit much. And yet, it's one of the film’s most curious elements, representing interspecies or otherworldly communication. 

I think the last time I had an experience similar to this was either Inception or Interstellar (or both). Certainly, in terms of its genre and its challenging ideas and themes, as well as its emotional and mysterious tone. The film has more questions than answers, and potentially leaves things open to interpretation, representing more than just one thing for many people. (2001: A Space Odyssey and Close Encounters were more poetic. This flick may be more challenging than either of those two.) Its theological discussion and debate (especially in the last thirty minutes) will have you glued to the screen and may leave you speechless with your jaws on the floor.