It is no secret that Steven Spielberg is quite a big deal when it comes to directors. After all, he is seen as the father of the modern blockbuster and is arguably the most famous director in the world. He is a household name, even for those who do not really follow film very deeply. None of this is unwarranted because, although I do not love every film he has made, there is an unshakeable magic to his filmmaking. Whether that is due to his regularly used themes, such as coming-of-age tales and mixing the ordinary with the extraordinary, thrilling action and adventure in spades, or his clear filmmaking prowess, there is generally something for everyone in the films he makes. The man just knows how to make a film that is accessible for families, but also dense enough that those who want to dig deep and nerd out can do so. With his recent comments about AI having no place in the filmmaking process and that humans are the ones who put the soul into cinema, it is clear he is still making films for the right reasons, and doing it properly without cutting corners. Because of his reputation, it is always a celebrated occasion when he releases a new film, his recent release being Disclosure Day. Once again delving into sci-fi and aliens, this was a highly anticipated release for me. Still, I do not think this film was what anyone was really expecting, and thus it has become a rather polarising film in the online space. Rather than focusing on alien invasions or a bond with the extra-terrestrial, this is a very human film, focusing on the importance of empathy and hope in a world full of turmoil. Even outside of the Spielberg magic and excellent filmmaking this brings, Disclosure Day will be remembered as an incredibly important film, shouting at people to hold onto the hope that things will get brighter when the world seems at its darkest.

Disclosure Day sees the world on the brink of war, with tensions rising and nuclear weapons being flaunted around and used to threaten nations everywhere. It becomes increasingly clear that a World War III of sorts is on the cards, and there is no real hope for the future. Daniel (Josh O’Connor), a cybersecurity specialist, manages to steal multiple drives of data from his place of work, Wardex, a secret strand of the government that focuses on keeping secrets buried away from the public. On these drives is no other than hard evidence of extra-terrestrial life, with UFO videos and even videos of them walking on Earth. Believing that the world deserves to know the truth, he aims to take it to former Wardex employees, led by Hugo (Colman Domingo), so they can figure out how to prepare the world for this news. Daniel is hunted by Wardex CEO Noah Scanlan (Colin Firth) and has to go into hiding with his girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson). Meanwhile, a meteorologist for Kansas City’s local news station, Margaret (Emily Blunt), has a strange encounter with a cardinal that flies through her window. All of a sudden, after seeing that cardinal, she gains psychic powers, being able to read people’s thoughts but also speak multiple languages fluently without even realising. When broadcasting the weather, she starts spouting a strange, indecipherable alien language, which attracts the attention of Wardex. When Hugo catches wind of Margaret and the extra-terrestrial phenomenon surrounding her, he tells her to find Daniel, and together they can show the world the truth about everything that has been kept from them.

The first thing you have to focus on when it comes to a Spielberg film is the obvious filmmaking talent on display throughout the film. With regular collaborators like cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, editor Sarah Broshar, and the great John Williams doing the score, Spielberg has assembled everyone here who knows how to fit his vision. The score for this film is obviously great because it is John Williams, but it works so well due to how reserved and how sparingly utilised it is. During crazy chase sequences, it fires on all cylinders, and in smaller, more intimate moments, it has its chance to soar. But this film also shines in those nail-biting moments where there is little to no music. One of the main set pieces of the film, the car and train sequence, has little to no music, and it is better for it. Rather than an elevated score that makes you float in the moment, Spielberg opts for a focus on the tension of the situation, and that silent head-in-hands space you find yourself in is a great choice. Speaking of which, those moments are crafted with such cutting-edge precision that you cannot help but be enthralled. Those chase scenes mentioned are some of the best action sequences of the year, purely from a filmmaking standpoint. How the camera never stays still, weaving through the convoy of cars, cutting to wide shots of the chaos ensuing. It is the added whimsy and sci-fi elements that make this even better; one scene involving Daniel driving with Jane in the back, as she is being hypnotised by Scanlan to kill Daniel, is a particular highlight that had me on the edge of my seat. You also have to appreciate just how well each sequence is blocked and laid out in the best possible manner. I have seen many people talk about a sequence where Daniel is sneaking towards the farmhouse, in a video game-like manner, with Daniel army-crawling in the foreground and all the Wardex henchmen searching for him in the back. Disclosure Day feels made with such grand scale and prowess in all departments, and there is so much to love here.

What really sells Disclosure Day, at least for me, is the heart and soul that comes from its writing. David Koepp has not had the best writing credits in recent years, but he has been a frequent collaborator with Spielberg for a reason, and this is him finding his form again. Not being afraid to get too out there and asking the audience to believe in the magical things that are happening is classic Spielberg DNA. Whilst a lot of this film can be much grittier and darker than some of his more whimsical work, those more fantastical elements that creep through really elevate the whole package. Your mileage may vary with this, but particularly in line with what the film has to say, I think it was extremely well done. This is a film that takes a look at all the horrible stuff going on in this world and asks people to unite in the face of it, not squabbling over each other, but instead celebrating their existence. Having Margaret effectively use empathy as a superpower is very out there, but it works for the message the film is trying to deliver. She is the vessel that is carrying people’s need to be on the same page, to understand each other. If aliens did exist, why would another human have a right to hide evidence of that from another? That would be such a groundbreaking discovery that would definitely make us question our existence, as is said many times throughout the film. But people need to know these things to move forward. Scanlan believes hiding these secrets away is for the good of humanity, and you can see where he is coming from. But that noble crusade and burden of knowledge should be shared with the world, to make them understand how insignificant their squabbles are. Now, we may not necessarily have aliens in our universe; that is up to you whether you believe so or not. But we are all human, and this film pleads hope for humanity, that we can stand together in the face of making things better and not worse. That is the message of the film, and the way it delivers it is fantastic. It is hard to tiptoe around spoilers, but the final 30 minutes deal with these ideas, and it is the most captivating last act I have seen in a film this year. You feel like the whole world is watching behind you in that cinema, and that is the power of cinema, which Spielberg masterfully hones.

What more could you want from a Spielberg blockbuster? A tense and thrilling action film, one minute, and a ponderous, moving think-piece the next, though it never feels at all disjointed. It is immaculately paced, and its long runtime flies by quite quickly, but that goes to show just how entertaining the full package is, too. With a star-studded cast, everybody shines, particularly Emily Blunt, who perhaps shows some of her best work. But the man at the top of it all is Spielberg, and he has still got it after all these years. I was not the biggest fan of The Fabelmans because even if the man had earned it, I felt it to be a bit self-indulgent. Still, with that film, it still had his magic running through it, and Disclosure Day feels like a proper return to that magic, which is oozing in every aspect of this film. This film really moved me and I can confidently say it is one of the year’s best so far.