Disclosure Day sees Steven Spielberg returning to the sci-fi genre. The new film stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colman Domingo has been one of the most anticipated films all year. A story created by Spielberg and a script from longtime collaborator David Koepp, gives us an epic summer film. Check out the film synopsis below.

As a massive government conspiracy unravels, a targeted whistleblower races against time to bring about the extraordinary event that will change human history forever: the day of ultimate alien disclosure

I’ve been a huge Spielberg fan since the first time I watched Jurassic Park on a small CRT TV. There was a sense of wonder and excitement I felt with that film that continued for years. The moment, however, that I truly felt the magic was with A.I. Experiencing that film on big screen was such an eye opening and life changing experience. I consider that to be Spielberg’s best film as it combined wonder, spectacle, and most importantly, heart. This feeling I felt with A.I. is one that I felt at the end of Disclosure Day as well. It’s broken up into what feels like a puzzle and as we see the pieces come together in such a breathtaking way, I couldn’t help but to feel a sense of awe through certain moments.

Emily Blunt delivers what I would consider the best performance of the year so far. There’s a such a complexity to her character of Margaret that she delivers with ease. The way Blunt portrays all her feelings and also doesn’t overextend make it such a fantastic performance. I couldn’t help but to be moved to tears during a certain scene that I think cements Blunt as one of the best working today. Colman Domingo as Hugo has such an essence to him that only Domingo could portray. Hugo knows so much but at the same time is also open to understanding more. You truly feel the warmth embrace of a friend when he delivers his lines and a truly incredible monologue. Blunt and Domingo are such highlights to the story and are just working on another level.

I wasn’t too high on Josh O’Connor and Colin Firth’s characters who are also leads. It could also be due to the fact that with a 2-hour plus run time it would be hard to give them more of a fleshed out feel. There were moments I found Firth as villain Noah Scanlon to be terrifying, but I was more interested in his moments of vulnerability. I also felt the same way for Josh O’Connor’s character of Daniel, who we don’t get much of besides his role as the messenger. Disclosure Day already has a lot of moving layers so it can be forgiven, but was a bit of a let down to not see more depth from these characters.

Of course, the film makes up for it in what I consider some of the best action sequences we’ve seen in quite some time. Spielberg chooses to contain and also let the action explode in such a rhythmic way. This adds more and more to the sense of danger you feel throughout. Cinematography from longtime collaborator Janusz Kamiński is otherworldly as well. A combination of controlled lens flares and a futuristic yet warm look elevated the film throughout it’s run time. I always felt my eyes glued to the screen as each shot drew me in closer to not just the action, but the emotional state of each character. All of this combined with John Williams’ intense score made this film feel so grand on a level we don’t see many movies achieve nowadays. The final sequence of the film that is meant to be the climax is so interesting. It might look and feel like the opposite of what you expect from a Summer blockbuster climax but is just as effective. I could feel all of the emotions I had been holding throughout just swell up during that moment.

Spielberg talked about crafting this story during 2023 and you get a sense of that. The urgency in the story as World War 3 approaches for the characters is still as timely a fear as ever. In my opinion, it is Spielberg’s most political film to date. Spielberg offers so much commentary on our society today, where the freedom of the press and censorship being such a strong presence throughout Disclosure Day. The film is ultimately a story that is about the failed communication we have as a society and where it leads us. It could very well be Spielberg’s most important film he’s made and comes at such a crucial time in our world. It serves as almost a highlight reel of everything that’s made him a great director; the awe and excitement he’s been presenting to us for decades is there but more importantly it’s his heart that is ever more present.