Disclosure Day review: close encounters of a deferred kind in Spielberg’s conspiracy spectacular

Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day is described as a wildly entertaining, knowingly absurd alien-conspiracy adventure that blends deadpan seriousness with playful mischief. Written by David Koepp, the film draws on classic suspense and sci-fi influences, echoing the tension of Hitchcock, the layered structure of Christopher Nolan, and Spielberg’s own long career of wonder-filled spectacle. The story takes familiar American conspiracy lore, including Roswell and crop circles, and treats them with unusual sincerity, creating a film that is both comedic and earnest in its belief that hidden truths about extraterrestrials matter deeply.

At the center of the film is Emily Blunt as Margaret Fairchild, a Kansas City weather presenter whose life is upended after she encounters a mysterious red bird. From that moment, she begins to experience strange abilities and involuntary psychic events. She suddenly understands Russian and Korean without realizing it, reads the thoughts of a traffic officer, and behaves unpredictably while on television, turning her into a chaotic and magnetic lead character. Blunt’s performance is described as energetic, funny, and one of the strongest of her career, combining comic timing with emotional intensity.

The film also follows Dr Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity analyst played by Josh O’Connor, who becomes a whistleblower against a secretive corporation called Wardex. The company has spent decades helping successive U.S. governments manage and conceal encounters involving beings that may not be human. Daniel steals a mysterious object and goes on the run with his girlfriend Jane, played by Eve Hewson, a former novice nun struggling with her own changing sense of purpose and belief. Their journey connects questions of faith, secrecy, identity, and revelation.

Pursuing Daniel is Wardex leader Noah Scanlon, played by Colin Firth as a cold and dangerous antagonist. Meanwhile, Daniel receives help from former boss and fellow whistleblower Hugo Wakefield, played by Colman Domingo, whose scenes add to the film’s surreal and secretive atmosphere. As the plot develops, Margaret and Daniel’s paths converge in a larger emotional and philosophical revelation that frames the alien encounter as a test of empathy, innocence, and human connection.

The film is presented as a crowd-pleasing spectacle filled with fast-paced action, chase sequences, sharp dialogue, and big set pieces. It is praised as rare, high-quality entertainment that moves briskly while keeping its sense of fun. At the same time, the review notes one weakness: the unseen alien or shark-like fear that often works best in Spielberg’s films loses some of its power once fully revealed, creating a risk of bathos.

Even so, Disclosure Day is portrayed as a return to Spielberg’s deepest creative instincts: the emotional wonder of childhood, the fear of the unknown, and the desire to believe in something larger than ordinary reality. The film is released on 10 June in the UK, 11 June in Australia, and 12 June in the US.