Fish and chips. A pub garden and sunny weather. Ant & Dec. There are just some combinations that are timeless. For movie lovers, Steven Spielberg and John Williams has to be one of – if not the – most unbeatable combinations. Add in them working together on a sci-fi movie, and you're probably already crying.
Their latest project - which marks an incredible 30th movie together - has been shrouded in secrecy. All we really knew about Disclosure Day ahead of its release is that it involved aliens somewhere, and the fight to reveal the truth about them to the world. How would eight billion people react if they found out we were not alone in the universe?
It's an enticing prospect, given present day discussions, even if it wasn't Spielberg directing it. But in his hands, working for the fifth time from a David Koepp (Jurassic Park) script, Disclosure Day manages to balance its weighty themes with genuine thrills in what proves to be a compelling blend. It might fall just short of his greatest works, but it will remind you of classic Spielberg, which is the next best thing.
Related: Steven Spielberg's new "riveting" sci-fi thriller hailed as his "best film in 20 years"
Much like with Spielberg's sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Disclosure Day follows three main characters whose fates are intertwined: cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor), weather presenter Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) and Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), head of a shady company called Wardex.
We know they're shady because in the opening scene, we see them use Daniel's girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) as collateral to make him return what he stole from Wardex. He used to work there, but when he saw the truth, Daniel decided to team up with fellow former Wardex employee Hugo (Colman Domingo) to reveal the truth to the entire world, contained within 79 years of Wardex files.
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Daniel is smarter than Wardex gives him credit though, and manages to escape with the archive and a mysterious object known only as the "device". It sets in motion a two-hour chase movie that's wrapped up in a cerebral sci-fi drama which discusses our faith in humanity, the position of religion in a world where we might not be alone, and whether there are some things that are best kept hidden.
It might sound weighty and dry, but this is Spielberg. Disclosure Day could use to shave some minutes off its runtime, yet it's often gripping and consistently entertaining. There's a lightness to it, whether it's Wyatt Russell's hilarious supporting role as Margaret's baffled boyfriend Jackson or the entirely believable reactions from anybody who interacts with Margaret and her 'gift'.
We won't go into spoilers on that here, but Disclosure Day gives Emily Blunt a better role than The Devil Wears Prada 2. From the moment Margaret starts talking an unknown language live on air, Blunt's performance masterfully walks the line between sincerity and oddity. As good as Josh O'Connor is beside her, in another endearingly awkward leading role, the movie would not work as well without Blunt being as good as she is.
For those seeking an action-packed blockbuster, Disclosure Day is not that movie. There's a couple of well-staged set pieces, but it's the ideas that are big here, not the explosions. The "device" that Daniel steals from Wardex ends up being sort-of an alien Swiss Army Knife, which is where the most out-there sci-fi concepts are delivered. One such use manages to turn a simple dialogue scene into something more intense and striking.
It's then not a surprise that the sensational third act, where answers are delivered and more questions raised, isn't an all-action spectacular. What's more impressive is that you might know exactly where it's going, but the craft – whether it's Sarah Broshar's impactful editing or another classic John Williams sci-fi score – makes it emotional, awe-inspiring and captivating.
Some might leave frustrated at exactly where Disclosure Day ends, yet it provides the perfect jump-off point for post-viewing discussion. It does what great cinema is meant to do, move you and stimulate your mind, meaning that you can forgive the slightly baggy second act because of how strongly the movie ends.
As great as it is to see the box office currently dominated by up-and-coming names like Curry Barker and Kane Parsons, Disclosure Day reminds you that cinema icons like Steven Spielberg still have plenty left to say.
Disclosure Day is released in UK cinemas on 10 June and in US cinemas on 12 June.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
