Disclosure Day – Film Review

Director – Steven Spielberg
Writers – David Koepp, Steven Spielberg
Stars – Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth

Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) is a TV weather forecaster who dreams of breaking into news reporting. She lives with her musician boyfriend, Jackson (Wyatt Russell), in Kansas and works at the local TV station. When a cardinal (yes, the bird) flies through her window one morning and lands on her kitchen table, things start to get a little strange for Margaret.

The other plot strand involves Dr Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) and his girlfriend Jane Blankenship (Eve Hewson), who are being chased by some secret agent types led by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth). Daniel has stolen a device of unknown origin, and it must be returned at all costs!

So far, so very Steven Spielberg. He does have a fascination with all things alien, dating back to Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and not ignoring
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1981), amongst many others. If you look at his back catalogue, he does cover a very wide spectrum, but he may be best remembered for his other-worldly creations! The co-writer of this piece, David Koepp, has worked with Spielberg on many films, including Jurassic Park (1993), War of the Worlds (2005) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). This is Spielberg’s first film since the semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans in 2024.

The film is well-acted, and even some of the smaller parts have well-known actors. I guess the temptation to work with living legend Steven Spielberg does open doors, even if you’re offered limited screen time. It’s also nice to see Eve Hewson make the break from TV shows such as Bad Sisters to a blockbuster. The pacing is frantic throughout, as the two leads are chased by various governmental agencies. Don’t expect too many peaceful moments of quiet introspection, but it does provide car chases and the occasional train crash! The story might be the biggest flaw of the piece, which, while it delivers a high-octane race against time, lacks sufficient complexity or surprises to keep you enthralled. The trailer and even the title give so much away that you’ll have guessed much of the plot. Regardless of this, it’s still an enjoyable interlude, and watching what Spielberg does with a camera is always fascinating. He’s a true master of his trade.