Disclosure Day (2026)
It’s a rare and special feeling walking out of a theater realizing you just witnessed something spectacular
I’ve spent the last couple of weeks revisiting some of Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi work, most notably Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).
Spielberg is not subtle with his themes, and each of his films is very obviously personal in different ways. Disclosure Day is no different, with a succinct message completely wrapped up in a thrill ride that is tonally familiar but astoundingly shot. It’s an expertly crafted film, the best I’ve seen in 2026 and Spielberg’s most triumphant in decades.
Disclosure Day hardly affords you a moment to breathe from the second it starts. We first meet one of our two stars, Daniel (Josh O’Connor), amid a high-stakes confrontation where he’s exchanging something in his possession for his kidnapped girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson).
Daniel works for Wardex, a secret organization that has for the better part of a century been charged with keeping knowledge of alien encounters under wraps. Alongside a small group of likeminded whistle-blowers, Daniel has extracted that evidence as they prepare to show the whole world what’s been hidden from them.
We learn all of this almost immediately because the first act of Disclosure Day is really a second act. All of this happens before the movie starts. Understanding (most of) the stakes from the onset allows Spielberg to dive head-first into the action thriller that encompasses a lot of the movie, with Daniel and Jane on the run from the Wardex thugs, led by the menacing Noah, played by Colin Firth with an intensity rarely seen in his previous work. Some of the alien technology at Wardex’s disposal is used — with some trepidation — to help track down the pair, and the prolonged car chases and action sequences are stunningly shot by frequent Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski.
Meanwhile in Kansas City, we’re introduced to on-screen weatherperson Margaret (Emily Blunt), the film’s co-lead and emotional heart. After a cardinal flies into the loft Margaret shares with her boyfriend (played with great comedic touch by Wyatt Russell), Margaret’s entire life changes. She suddenly knows how to speak foreign languages, and intuits intimate knowledge about everyone she comes across, such as a bewildered police officer who pulls her over for speeding, only for her to recall an argument he had with his wife that morning.
Daniel and Margaret’s paths are destined to cross, and indeed, we soon learn that the man pulling the strings of this attempt at disclosure is an even higher-ranking Wardex defector named Hugo, played with cool charism by Colman Domingo. His role is understated but essential, and one particular encounter between Hugo and Noah is captivating in its force but also provides the necessary context for Spielberg’s theme, which is one of empathy and understanding. Hugo insists that the world can handle what he wants to show them. That we’ve been beaten down by cynicism and emotional dishonesty, and that the empathy elicited by the alien creatures is something from which we can learn.
It’s not so much a message as an overarching theme. Spielberg seems more interested in asking questions than attempting to answer them and he doesn’t stray away from the big ones — including a big swing at the religious aspect — even if the exposition occasionally veers into feeling trite.
And the entire film is visually awe-inducing. There’s some unfortunately poor-looking CGI animals, but the big spots are fully nailed.
Spielberg is a master of emotional manipulation, and even if his films often feel filled with childlike wonderment, they’re exceptional at lifting the corners of your sentimentality you didn’t realize needed to be opened. This was my big takeaway in rewatching Close Encounters and A.I. in particular. I saw both films for the first time when I was a teenager, and I realized at now nearly 40-years-old that I simply wasn’t emotionally mature enough to appreciate what Spielberg was trying to say.
Disclosure Day hits similarly. The final sequence brought tears to my eyes in a way only Spielberg can achieve. The more cynical among us will undoubtedly react differently — Spielberg also forces a good amount of suspension of disbelief — but it hits hard, pulling no punches in pushing this incredible story to its finish line.
It’s a rare and special feeling walking out of a theater realizing you just witnessed something spectacular. Disclosure Day is spectacular.
ly wrapped up in a thrill ride that is tonally familiar but astoundingly shot. It’s an expertly crafted film, the best I’ve seen in 2026 and Spielberg’s most triumphant in decades.
Disclosure Day hardly affords you a moment to breathe from the second it starts. We first meet one of our two stars, Daniel (Josh O’Connor), amid a high-stakes confrontation where he’s exchanging something in his possession for his kidnapped girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson).
Daniel works for Wardex, a secret organization that has for the better part of a century been charged with keeping knowledge of alien encounters under wraps. Alongside a small group of likeminded whistle-blowers, Daniel has extracted that evidence as they prepare to show the whole world what’s been hidden from them.
We learn all of this almost immediately because the first act of Disclosure Day is really a second act. All of this happens before the movie starts. Understanding (most of) the stakes from the onset allows Spielberg to dive head-first into the action thriller that encompasses a lot of the movie, with Daniel and Jane on the run from the Wardex thugs, led by the menacing Noah, played by Colin Firth with an intensity rarely seen in his previous work. Some of the alien technology at Wardex’s disposal is used — with some trepidation — to help track down the pair, and the prolonged car chases and action sequences are stunningly shot by frequent Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski.
Meanwhile in Kansas City, we’re introduced to on-screen weatherperson Margaret (Emily Blunt), the film’s co-lead and emotional heart. After a cardinal flies into the loft Margaret shares with her boyfriend (played with great comedic touch by Wyatt Russell), Margaret’s entire life changes. She suddenly knows how to speak foreign languages, and intuits intimate knowledge about everyone she comes across, such as a bewildered police officer who pulls her over for speeding, only for her to recall an argument he had with his wife that morning.
Daniel and Margaret’s paths are destined to cross, and indeed, we soon learn that the man pulling the strings of this attempt at disclosure is an even higher-ranking Wardex defector named Hugo, played with cool charism by Colman Domingo. His role is understated but essential, and one particular encounter between Hugo and Noah is captivating in its force but also provides the necessary context for Spielberg’s theme, which is one of empathy and understanding. Hugo insists that the world can handle what he wants to show them. That we’ve been beaten down by cynicism and emotional dishonesty, and that the empathy elicited by the alien creatures is something from which we can learn.
It’s not so much a message as an overarching theme. Spielberg seems more interested in asking questions than attempting to answer them and he doesn’t stray away from the big ones — including a big swing at the religious aspect — even if the exposition occasionally veers into feeling trite.
And the entire film is visually awe-inducing. There’s some unfortunately poor-looking CGI animals, but the big spots are fully nailed.
Spielberg is a master of emotional manipulation, and even if his films often feel filled with childlike wonderment, they’re exceptional at lifting the corners of your sentimentality you didn’t realize needed to be opened. This was my big takeaway in rewatching Close Encounters and A.I. in particular. I saw both films for the first time when I was a teenager, and I realized at now nearly 40-years-old that I simply wasn’t emotionally mature enough to appreciate what Spielberg was trying to say.
Disclosure Day hits similarly. The final sequence brought tears to my eyes in a way only Spielberg can achieve. The more cynical among us will undoubtedly react differently — Spielberg also forces a good amount of suspension of disbelief — but it hits hard, pulling no punches in pushing this incredible story to its finish line.
It’s a rare and special feeling walking out of a theater realizing you just witnessed something spectacular. Disclosure Day is spectacular.