Disclosure Day – aukermania

6.5/7 🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩

I was going to watch Disclosure Day again before writing this review, but after thinking about it for a week I found myself compelled to base this on my first watch, not a second. The film has been replaying in my head for about a week, and I’m happy to say it has become one of my favorite alien films. Not because of the actual aliens, but because of the way Act III captures how the world might react if (more like when) we finally find out aliens are real.

I’m going to break this down into visuals, music, storyline, and acting.

First: wow. If you want a masterclass in camera work, reflections, lighting, and staging, this film is it. Beautifully crafted and edited, it keeps you in awe of the visionary Steven Spielberg is. Every frame feels intentional, and there is such a strong understanding of how to use space, light, and movement to build curiosity and wonder.

That said, some of the special effects did feel a bit cartoonish to me, though possibly on purpose. I had a discussion with a friend about this, and they pointed out that it could (SPOILER ALERT) connect to how she first encountered them at a young age. Maybe the visuals were meant to feel filtered through memory, imagination, or childhood interpretation. (END SPOILER) Even with that possible explanation, I still found those moments a little distracting. Overall, there are a few very cool uses of special effects, but do not go into this expecting something like War of the Worlds or some of Spielberg’s more fantastical films. This movie is much more about humans than aliens.

Musically, the score is AMAZING. John Williams doing what he does best. He knows when to make things feel mysterious, when to feel grand, and when to simply let the dialogue or acting do the work. The music absolutely supports the atmosphere and gives the story a sense of scale. I cannot wait to experience it again in theaters soon. I still plan to see it a second time before it is gone. Also, very clever use of sound throughout the film (train scene with the piano comes to mind).

Story-wise, what challenged me a little at first is that the film does not treat aliens as the main point of interest. Instead, it focuses on the human response: fear, wonder, obsession, disbelief, and ultimately acceptance. After thinking on it for a week, I am very okay with that. (SPOILER ALERT) The final scenes are what really locked the movie in for me. It felt less like a traditional alien reveal and more like a reflection of what humanity would do when faced with undeniable proof that we are not alone. Would we panic? Would we gather? Would we stare in silence? The movie sits in that question beautifully. I will say, there were a couple of scenes that pulled me out of it. The farmyard scene felt a little too unreal (how did they not see him?!) and the chase scene following that really forced you to rely on suspension of disbelief to keep the story on its tracks, but I mean hey… it’s a movie. (END SPOILER) Not a documentary (or is it?!). I still loved the film, especially how it talked about religion and how the belief in aliens and God can go hand in hand.

The acting is where the film really finds its emotional core, and Emily Blunt is absolutely amazing. Give her the Critics Choice Award and Oscar now. Her depth, control, and ability to make us both laugh and cry is something special. If we had a bingo card for every emotion a performance could make us feel, she filled the entire card by the end of the film. She carries so much of the film’s humanity. Josh O’Connor was strong in supporting Emily Blunt, but his character felt a little too timid compared to the cybersecurity superhero I thought he might become. I kept waiting for him to step fully into that role, but in the end, he served the story the way he needed to. His restraint worked for the film, even if I personally wanted a little more from the character. Colin Firth and Colman Domingo were also quite amazing to watch. Both bring such a strong presence to the screen, and their performances help give the movie weight beyond the mystery. They add layers of authority and tension, making the world of the film feel bigger.

In the end, Disclosure Day was one of Spielberg’s best films. Not perfect, but it does not have to be. I rarely give an additional .5, but this film was soooo close to a 7 out of 7 disco balls.

Emotion: 7/7
Editing & Story: 6/7
Visuals: 7/7