Disclosure Day (2026) | Film Review

Disclosure Day is a science fiction conspiracy thriller centered on meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), a woman who suddenly develops the ability to communicate in every language and inexplicably knows deeply personal details about complete strangers. As governments scramble to contain the phenomenon, cyber security expert Daniel (Josh O’Connor) has uncovered evidence that may connect Sarah’s condition to a decades long alien cover-up. Standing in their path is Noah (Colin Firth), a government operative whose true agenda remains frustratingly elusive.

I don’t even know where to start with Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg’s return to aliens in the modern age (are we not counting Crystal Skull?). Spielberg is one of the greatest directors – if not THE – of all-time, Emily Blunt is one of our best actresses, and David Koepp writes nothing but blockbusters.

So, why does this seem like it’s the best movie of 1996 instead of 2026?

Here are the pluses: Blunt puts in stellar work as a meteorologist suddenly given the ability to communicate in any language and know intimate details of anyone, while Josh O’Connor does a sound job as a cyber security expert trying to get the truth of an alien cover-up out.

The first hour is a tense, 70s-era conspiracy thriller as we hit the ground running, which leads us to a fascinating villain in Colin Firth’s Noah. Also, John Williams once again delivers a perfect score. He is simply unmatched.

To expand on the summary: Spielberg’s craftsmanship is never really in question. The camera work is elegant, the pacing during the opening act is deliberate without ever feeling slow, and the sense of mystery keeps the audience invested early on. There are several sequences where the director reminds everyone why he remains one of cinema’s greatest visual storytellers. Even when the narrative begins to wobble, the presentation remains polished and engaging.

Emily Blunt does much of the heavy lifting throughout the film. Margaret’s growing understanding of what is happening to her creates the movie’s strongest emotional thread. Josh O’Connor complements her well as Daniel, bringing an everyman quality to the character that helps ground some of the more outlandish developments. Colin Firth also makes the most of limited material, crafting a government antagonist who is compelling enough that you wish the screenplay dug deeper into his motivations.

Now, the minuses.

The entire plot hinges on revealing an alien conspiracy like we are in the 90s and the population still wants to believe. Guys, we believe. Mulder won. I’d love to tell you there’s so much more to the story, but I kept expecting the movie to give us anything new and instead it felt like rewatching an X-Files movie for the 20th time.

The biggest issue is not that the story is bad. It is that it feels strangely dated, especially the script and our expected anxiety surrounding the details. The themes, revelations, and major turns often play as if they were designed for audiences several decades ago. The film repeatedly builds toward moments that seem intended to shock viewers, but modern audiences have been consuming alien conspiracies, government secrets, and hidden truth narratives for generations. What once felt groundbreaking now feels overly familiar.

Plus, at least 3 separate times, characters should have easily been caught, captured, or worse but were saved by either terrible writing or staging. One example is a character “hiding” from federal agents by running next to an uncovered fence and stealing a car right next to them. There is no exaggeration here. I’m not sure why these plot holes exist, but for a master such as Spielberg, consider my mind boggled.

These moments become increasingly difficult to ignore because they occur during scenes specifically designed to generate suspense. Instead of leaning forward in anticipation, the audience is left questioning basic logic. When viewers are laughing during sequences intended to create tension, something has gone uncomfortably wrong.

This is a movie where Spielberg needed someone to push back and go “nah, cinematic genius, we have to find another way”. The plot hinges on the shock and awe of audiences to empathize with cruelty and also to be completely overwhelmed by the audacity of the government to harbor unfathomable secrets. Instead, we are left with a movie that will probably get a pass because it’s Spielberg, but this is nothing more than a well-shot film with a stale story that is no longer relevant and plot holes the size of UFOs.

That is perhaps the most frustrating part of Disclosure Day. The talent involved is undeniable, the performances work, the score and direction soars. Yet the story never evolves beyond concepts that have been explored repeatedly for decades. Rather than feeling like Spielberg’s definitive modern statement on extraterrestrial life, the movie feels like a relic from another era that somehow arrived thirty years late.

It should have been called Disappointment Day.

Disclosure Day releasees in theaters June 12, 2026
Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo
Screenplay by David Koepp
Directed by Steven Spielberg