"DISCLOSURE DAY" REVIEW

Published on 6/12/2026 

Written by: Braylon Mitchell 

Directed by: Steven Spielberg 

Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Eve Hewson, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, etc. 

Plot: If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? 

REVIEW 

We're lucky that Steven Spielberg is still making movies. His past two films—2021's "West Side Story" and 2022's "The Fabelmans"—were fantastic late-stage milestones of his career, both emitting the essence of what felt like bucket list items Spielberg was making sure he checked off: a musical, which he'd always strived to make, and a very personal venture into his own life experiences. Serving what I strongly believe to be two cinematic slam-dunks in a row after a decade of lesser received/safer films, like many I was thrilled at the prospect of Spielberg returning to something that was a huge root of his legendary's reputation and fame: the sci-fi genre, more specifically the subject of extraterrestrial beings/aliens. In many ways, this film feels like a statement about the current state of the world. We live in an age where knowledge is as compromised as ever. Widespread modern political corruption is as prevalent as ever, the internet has us both more connected and more disconnected than we've ever been, the rise of A.I. is insurmountable, conspiracy theories run rampant, extremism is at an all time high, etc. etc. etc. The human race has never been so full of knowledge, yet so starved for what is being withheld. It's an inherent human trait to try making sense of the unknown, grasping onto whatever we can to paint a picture of what hasn't been painted for us—with this film, Spielberg tackles the very concept of the human race's relationship to the truth. Set against the backdrop of the world verging into nuclear fallout and worldwide destruction, this film explores the complexities of revealing to humanity a highly suppressed truth—the beauty, consequences, and imperative existence of a great truth. The film doesn't shy away from establishing a thematic pulse over humanity's capacity of faith either, making religious outlook a key aspect of the film's understanding of human nature and is channeled through the character of Jane (played by Eve Hewson). The film possesses the theme of faith's relationship to truth being ambiguous, up to your own understandings and perceptions—guided by our own establishments of love and stability, the outcome of truth unmovable but our impressions fluid. Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp had something to say with this film, and they get their points across excellently, in the process crafting a film that's riveting down to the bone. Not without its share of safer means of storytelling and slight corniness, but if any filmmaker alive has an affinity for using slight corniness as a cinematic tool it's Steven frickin' Spielberg. Janusz Kaminski's smooth gliding camerawork, John Williams' magical score, and a stellar ensemble of performances are all side-by-side making up a dream team for Spielberg fans and moviegoing audiences alike. Even if unconsciously without a single moment of analyzation, it's easy to respond to a film's messages, action, and craft when it's conceived with a keen understanding of cinematic language and the value of entertainment. Especially within the last twenty or so minutes of the film, I can't see how you won't be utterly enthralled by what is unfolding on screen—Spielberg builds up the entire film for these twenty minutes of pure humanistic gravitas, making for one of the most impactful and exhilarating closing acts of his filmography. This whole film made me giddy with excitement, to say the least, but its ending truly sealed the deal. I think that this film is a bountiful success, and yet another one of the GOAT's slam-dunks. 

FIVE BEST ELEMENTS

(For times that it feels exclusively fitting and for films that I am very excited about, I will be including my "five best elements" instead of my traditional three.)

• Steven Spielberg's direction. A gourmet chef prepares delicious meals, an Olympic athlete wins gold medals, a world-class pianist sells out the finest concert halls in Europe, and a Steven Spielberg makes movie magic. His control of technical craft, purpose in thematic guidance, and just plain ol' popcorn entertainment is just as reliably top drawer as you'd hope. Some specific directorial flares that popped out to me and I'd like to acknowledge were the focus on recurring metaphorical imagery of the palm of the hand (signifying humanity's grasp of knowledge and faith, along with other things) and his willingness to lean into more playful, humorous tones at times. I laughed many times throughout the film, just as Spielberg purposefully directed me to. 

• Janusz Kaminski's cinematography. I'm a massive fan of Kaminski's work and his decades-spanning collaborations with Spielberg ("Schindler's List", "Saving Private Ryan", "Minority Report", "West Side Story" just to name a few). He's strongly in the running for being my favorite cinematographer of all time, and his work within this film is once again breathtaking to me. The way he and Spielberg move the camera is simply magic to me, no matter how much I may know about filmmaking or cinematography, it's simply enchanting to me on a personal level to watch the vast movement/gliding of camera, nonstop creative framing, and dynamically blown-out lighting. 

• John Williams' score. Williams is a living legend, one of the greatest film composers to ever live (many would say he's THE greatest to ever live, and I'd one hundred and ten percent agree) and at ninety-four years old is still actively working. Having composed many of the all-time great film scores, every time Williams comes out with a new score people automatically compare his newest works to that of his past scores and rarely do they hold up to the same amount of impact—while his score for this film may not go down as one of his greatest, that's simply because he's made too many masterpiece scores, it's certainly one of his finest works in recent memory. Sweeping with emotional grandeur in its orchestral motifs, full of intensity when called for, and subtle in guiding the emotion of the film beat by beat. John Williams has done it again. Now we just wait until January for him to collect his umpteenth Oscar nomination. 

• Emily Blunt's performance. She's wonderful in this film. It's kind of difficult to talk intricacies about what makes her performance so surprising, but trust me when I say that her performance is impressive. She's emotionally very engaging, without shedding a lighthearted humorous side. Emily Blunt has never been better than she is in this film. 

• Eve Hewson's performance. I think that she might've been the character I was most interested in, partly due to the themes that her character helps convey, but also because of the level of emotion and dedication she brings to her performance. In particular, there's a scene that she shares with Colin Firth (who's also great in the film) at a dinner table where her performance wowed me. 

WORST ELEMENT 

• There are some noticeable plot holes and a few story beats that feel generic. 

RATING

8/10

It's a must see, buddy!