Disclosure Day

★★★⯪

Disclosure Day (2026)

Runtime: 145 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language.

In Disclosure Day, eyes become the subject of focus. Irises change in colour to signify when someone becomes telepathically controlled to act against their impulses. Peeking into the figurative interior of one's eyes is another frequent composition, where they tell entire stories, grief and memories of someone we've known or just met.

Director Steven Spielberg, with a script by David Koepp, returns to the idea of extraterrestrial life which he covered in films several decades ago, from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. There's a lingering sense of familiarity upon hearing its premise which may drive some viewers away. But airtight narrative mechanics and worldbuilding logic are secondary in a film raises thoughtful questions of truth, faith, political and personal beliefs, while grounding them in empathy, becoming a human experience that's also a conversation starter. It'll get us thinking and talking about what we think is morally right, believe or feel.

Throwing us right into the scene, Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) and his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) narrowly escape a situation after stealing material from his employer Wardex Corporation, a private U.S. Government Contractor. Wardex CEO Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), in his failed negotiations, subsequently deploys his entire team to pursue Kellner and his allies, which also include Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo). In Kansas City, meteorologist and weatherwoman Margaret Fairchild's (Emily Blunt) routine becomes shattered when the arrival of a cardinal (bird) activates a psychic ability that causes her to speak in multiple languages and dig into people's history and thoughts without even meeting them prior to the event.

When Margaret delivers a live weather broadcast, she begins acting uncontrollably and uttering an unknown language, which catches the attention of Hugo and his team. Meanwhile, Daniel reveals that the stolen material includes evidence of extraterrestrial life which the government has classified, intending to broadcast it to the entire world. Jane immediately objects, starting the first of many provocations of the film. Is it Daniel's responsibility that the world must know of this? Can everyone handle the truth? As justified by Scanlon, the world is already on the brink of a nuclear war, and the disclosure of this would potentially cause even more chaos. Spielberg intends to mirror this dilemma to us. Would you decide to let the whole world know?

There are many aspects that cannot be said to work in the conventional filmmaking sense, and there will undoubtedly be many people losing sleep over dissecting plot mechanics, examining logic and whatnot. It might or might not fall apart in this regard, so yes, it's not a perfect film per se. Koepp's script is undoubtedly messy - there are many subplots, it's rather relaxed in its pacing, and one might question why he implemented an old-fashioned spy thriller structure - but I don't think that's what Disclosure Day sets out to do. Spielberg, being the seasoned and talented director he is, takes this assortment of elements on paper and translates it to something that's entertaining, rounding up an ensemble who more than rises to the challenge. Blunt sells subtler scenes better than the showy ones, O'Connor and Firth get their individual moments to shine, and Domingo knocks it out the park, adding much more than what's afforded to him on the page especially during an argument with Scanlon about the consequences of releasing classified data.

While Scanlon and his team are framed as villains, what makes the conflict more nuanced is that both parties have their valid justifications on their respective goals. That brings us back to morally complex situations that Spielberg actively invites us to contemplate. Neither party is 100% right or wrong. And when it starts to feel that characters solely exist to serve as mouthpieces for provocations, he injects them with empathy and psychological interrogation, eventually pushing Kellner and Margaret to the center of the story. Is there a middle ground where humans and extraterrestrials can co-exist, and a universe where people are willing to handle this truth? Touching on faith and beliefs, did the Lord solely create us human creatures? Should we rightfully be the only ones unconditionally loved? 

The ending positions them as mediators between both lifeforms, with Kellner being the translator and Margaret being the messenger. There's no denying that Disclosure Day has caused huge divides and debates, and whatever one perceives or interprets from what's presented, perhaps it's something Spielberg and his team ultimately aim to achieve. Consider Warfare from last year, which showed an immersive and technically flawless reconstruction of historical events, albeit with no introspection or perspective. Why do we go to the cinemas? To engage, think and discuss the themes and questions it throws, bringing in our life experiences, beliefs and interests into the conversation, and most importantly, to share those with our friends, family and the people around us in the theater. Disclosure Day hopes to do the same.