Steven Spielberg is, without a doubt, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His CV is littered with great movies, and he’s been at the top of his game ever since his debut feature, Duel, back in 1971. What gets people excited is his sci-fi films, after such monster smashes as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET. Disclosure Day is his third venture into the world of aliens, and some will call it an unofficial sequel to his 1977 Close Encounters. What I can say is that if people thought that Mr Spielberg’s star was waning, this is his return to form, as this is definitely his best movie in years, and while it may be old-fashioned in its approach, it’s a timely reminder of exactly why he is one of the best.

Cybersecurity specialist Daniel Kellner has stolen a piece of extraterrestrial technology and evidence that the government has been hiding about alien life. He is on the run from a secret government arm called Warnex. Meanwhile, weather girl Margaret Fairchild is visited by a red cardinal, which triggers a strange reaction. She is able to empathise with whoever she meets and starts speaking in an unusual language live on air, a language that Daniel can understand. Are these two people linked? And will the world be ready for Disclosure Day?

Based on a story by Spielberg and written by David Koepp, the man responsible for other Spielberg films, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, this is a film that may be about alien life on earth and how the world would react, but it is more to do with empathy than anything else. It’s no accident that this has been made at a time when people are cynical about everything and care little for others. Spielberg is the king of capturing a mood and twisting it. It also has the feel of one of his films from the 70s, with a slice of paranoia and a tone that wouldn’t be out of place alongside the likes of Jaws or Close Encounters.

What is very evident is just how good he is at the set-up and the payoff of a set piece. In fact, he is a master. The film has several moments when the tension is pumped up, and every cut, every movement of the camera, every inch of John Williams’s stunning score, is used to the best effect. The scene involving a car and a train is a perfect example of taking you to the edge of your seat. He also knows how to deliver those hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck moments. As we follow Margaret through the TV station, delivering moments of wisdom to the crew and switching to Korean in the blink of an eye, to the moment she starts speaking in an alien language to the camera, is going to go down as a superb moment in cinema.

This is a film of many layers, as well as being a damn exciting piece of entertainment. It speaks volumes about the government and its cover-ups, and the lengths it will go to in order to keep certain things secret. It could also be a calling to those within these departments to come out and stand up to them. While it could be taken all too seriously, it still manages to have that magic, almost childlike feel that infused most of Spielberg’s 80s work, particularly in its use of animals, although the computer-generated fox isn’t one of the film’s successes.

Spielberg has often been called an actor’s director, and the proof is in the cast’s performances. A neat line-up of cast members, all delivering. Colman Domingo is becoming a favourite with another calming performance as Hugo Wakefield, the man behind the whole plan to tell the world. Eve Hewson is solid as Daniel’s girlfriend, Jane, while Josh O’Connor has the perfect balance of unwanted hero and unnerving whistleblower.

Colin Firth is never known for playing the villain, but as Noah Scanlon, the lead of the government department, and donning a villain’s beard, Firth never pushes into the realm of pantomime, but gives us a human baddie. At the top of the tree is Emily Blunt as Margaret. She is magnificent, bouncing from comic to tragic, from various languages to almost total meltdown; this is definitely among her best performances. Proof, if needed, that gives her the right script, and she is a powerhouse.

Disclosure Day is a big, spectacular adventure helmed by a man who knows his craft and knows how to make things like this. It left me breathless by the end and took me back to my childhood days, when I was mesmerised by any film with Steven Spielberg attached. Spellbinding.

5 out of 5

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Elizabeth Marvel, Hettienne Park, Tommy Martinez, Gabby Beans, Jeremy Shamos.

Written by: David Koepp and (story) Steven Spielberg

Running Time: 145 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 10th June 2026