Movie Review: Disclosure Day Asks a Bigger Question Than Aliens

By Julie D’Aloiso I went to see Steven Spielberg’s new film, Disclosure Day , with my friend Mary Jane at a matinee showing. Only a couple of other people were in the theater with us. Sitting there in my very comfy slightly heated lounge seat, I realized the movie left me thinking about something much bigger than aliens. Some people will say this is just a Spielberg movie about extraterrestrial life. That framing misses the point. Underneath the science fiction premise is a message about empathy, and about what happens when people choose to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Personally, I felt something deeper watching this film. I believe there is a higher power connecting all of us, and I know not everyone shares that view. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and this one is mine. What struck me is how many people around the world, strangers who do not know each other, seem to be arriving at similar ideas about connection right now. The film argues that empathy, more than proof or disclosure itself, is what moves people toward peace instead of chaos. That message feels timely. Chaos seems to be increasing everywhere lately, and a story that pushes back with love and understanding is worth sitting with. Interestingly, the title Disclosure Day refers to something that actually happened. The government did disclose findings that officials once assumed the public could not handle. Audiences reacted with far less shock than expected. What might have caused panic decades ago now lands as something many people already suspected, even if nobody wanted to say it out loud. See the files for yourself. Disclosure Day was directed by Spielberg from a screenplay by David Koepp, based on a story by Spielberg himself. Emily Blunt leads the cast as meteorologist Margaret Fairchild, alongside Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo. John Williams composed the score, marking his 30th collaboration with Spielberg. The film runs 2 hours and 25 minutes and opened in United States theaters on June 12. The score did not stand out the way some Williams collaborations have. It was appropriate for every scene, and it never overshadowed the story, but nobody is rushing to add this soundtrack to a Spotify playlist. Some of the scenery leaned cliche as well, particularly a few camera setups that felt overly familiar for a director of Spielberg’s caliber. Disclosure Day works best as a meditation on empathy wrapped inside a big budget alien thriller. The visuals and cast carry real weight, even if the soundtrack and some staging choices feel less memorable. Themes of connection and unseen forces guiding events are not new territory for me. My young adult novel, Zzino’s Pathway: A Peacock Island Story, explores similar ground through a very different lens. If Disclosure Day left you thinking about the ties between people and the world around them, it might be worth picking up a copy . Book 2 is in the works (it is a series). P.S. If anyone is interested in producing my book series as a TV series, I would be inclined to listen!