Disclosure Day Review: A Story with Criticism, Reflection, and Emotions

Disclosure Day is a science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by David Koepp and starring Emily Blunt, Eve Hewson, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo.

Spielberg returns to the field of science fiction, a genre that he has transformed as a director. After years of investigating the encounter between human beings and the unknown, the filmmaker returns to a field full of many of his constant concerns: attraction to the enigmas of the universe, distrust of authorities and, above all, the belief that empathy can overcome fear. However, what is presented on the screen is a project as ambitious as it is scattered, without managing to balance all the ideas that it tries to explore.

On the day of the revelation, the plot centers on Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity expert who chooses to divulge confidential information related to Wardex, an entity that for years has kept secret evidence about the existence of extraterrestrial life. His former boss, Noah Scanlon, will do everything possible to prevent those secrets from being revealed, convinced that humanity is not ready to accept such an impact.

As the two embark on a race against time that crosses much of the country, the story introduces Margaret Fairchild, a Kansas City meteorologist whose existence is drastically transformed when she begins to notice strange phenomena associated with an intelligence that does not belong to our world.

The idea has all the necessary elements to be effective. It not only recovers some of Spielberg's most obvious thematic concerns, but also finds a current context quite conducive to developing them. Distrust of institutions, the flow of classified information, political polarization and uncertainty about the future are themes that encompass much of the narrative. The problem is that the film seems to think that the relevance of its concepts is enough to generate emotion. He constantly focuses on the magnitude of the events, on the historical repercussions of the imminent revelation and on the urgency for humanity to unite in the face of the unknown, but rarely manages to convey that relevance to the viewer.

An exstentialist perspective

The film is quite long, but that does not imply that its time is used in the best way. Most of the scenes show the characters running from one place to another, creating a feeling of perpetual persecution. This causes there to be no real development of the characters, so the plot seems quite superficial.

Although it may seem shallow and somewhat common, especially if you think about Spielberg's career, it is an option that many might be interested in if they want to know the latest work of this famous director and his opinion on the documents that are being declassified related to the subject.

The excellent cast makes the most of the mix of genres that this story offers: suspense, comedy, drama, science fiction, fantasy, horror, among others. Colin Firth and Colman Domingo keep the main intrigue about the valuable material that some want to reveal and others want to keep hidden. Emily Blunt lightens the tension with moments of humor and touching humanity. For her part, Eve Hewson brings a Catholic vision to the existential tone of the story, as well as to the moral conflicts they face.

Behind this dramatic plot is a deep criticism about the sad state of the current world. On the one hand, Spielberg advocates transparency and truth in information, treating people as adults instead of as children without criteria or puppets of fear, the dominant ideology or political correctness. The film promotes empathy, solidarity and charity as the main solution against prejudices, hatreds and selfishness that cause wars and conflicts. In short, for Spielberg, extraterrestrials would represent the new immigrants who would test our ability to receive them and could be the beginning of a positive change.

Disclosure Day presents a vision of humanity, the cosmos and religion that is very abundant, consistent with Spielberg's perspective throughout his career as a director.