'Disclosure Day' film review: Alien flick rooted in humanity's empathy and fears
Steven Spielberg returns to the alien genre with the science fiction-mystery 'Disclosure Day' (opening in theaters nationwide May 29).
In short: The lives of a meteorologist (Emily Blunt) and a cybersecurity expert (Josh O'Connor) cross paths when a shadowy government agency tries to silence whistleblowers working to leak a secret that could change the world. Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo also star.
As alway, this will be a spoiler-free review -- but one of the great frustrations of 'Disclosure Day' is how thoroughly committed the script is to the 'mystery box' concept. It's hard to spoil a movie that barely goes to any effort to reveal its own secrets. The movie even drops major plot reveals in its final minutes - and even this final reveal shares one commonality with all of the movie's closely held secrets: they are all so unearned. Audience members who are totally willing to buy into just being drug along for a ride will enjoy 'Disclosure Day' the most - but viewers who prefer a firm grip on the characters, their motivations or even where the story is going will have the roughest viewing.
The entire conceit of a 'mystery box' depends entirely on the storyteller's ability to capitivate and enthrall, immersing the story in the mystery ... almost treating the actual "hows" and "whys" of the central mystery as secondary. In this regard, perhaps Spielberg is one of the only filmmakers who could have salvaged 'Disclosure Day' from completely imploding under its own self-annointed mystique. Spielberg illcits a humanity that might otherwise be lost into a story that simply throws some hapless humans into a plot-driven mess, where the protagonists know almost nothing about what is happening, while being guided and simultaneously pursued by supporting characters who seemingly know everything.
The undisputed highlight of this summer blockbuster isn't the extraterrestrial plot or some amazing special effects - it's Emily Blunt's performance as a local news meteorologist thrust into a manhunt across the American midwest. Her character has the most dynamic range of the film, with her starting out as an aspiring news anchor eschewing the trappings of being just a 'weather girl,' all the way to perhaps the most critical person on the planet who can bridge civilization-level ignorance to humanity's awareness of 'the truth.' Summer blockbusters are not known for incredible performances, but Blunt is the exception.
While Blunt is the highlight of the film, the supporting cast is wasted on thin or weakly defined characters who function as little more than plot devices disguised as named characters. Colin Firth and Colman Domingo effectively play two sides of the same coin - with one character hunting down Blunt and O'Connor, while the other supports them from the shadows. Wyatt Russell ... is a boyfriend. Josh O'Connor ... is cyber expert who runs around carrying a bag of secrets. Eve Hewson also plays a partner to one of the protagonists, but at least she gets some bit of dimension in the way of a character history that philosophically puts her at odds with the whistleblower's motives.
Spielberg's latest is certainly his most entertaining work in decades - but it's worth noting that the filmmaker's signature works are from the late '90s, with his last two decades of popcorn flicks highlighted by 'Ready Player One,' 'West Side Story' and 'The Adventures of Tintin.' Although 'Disclosure Day' is his most enjoyable cinematic ride in years, it doesn't crack into the top echelon of his filmography.
Audiences must be advised that this film is not the blockbuster VFX ride that the trailer promises - for a movie that is almost two and a half hours long, 'Disclosure Day' spends most of its time mulling over what revealing the truth to humanity would mean. And this is a good thing - but don't go into this film expecting endless action packed scenes: there's just a couple of intense action sequences. While 'Disclosure Day' will screen in 70mm and IMAX in theaters, this is a rather grounded summer blockbuster that can easily be enjoyed at home - it does not demand to be watched on the biggest screen possible.
Final verdict: 'Disclosure Day' falls short of the big ideas of 'Close Encounters' or the blockbuster-scale action of 'War of the Worlds' - but elects to focus on the human core of a UFO story.
Score: 3/5
'Disclosure Day' opens in theaters nationwide June 12. This science fiction mystery has a runtime of 145 minutes and is rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language.
