The science fiction film “Disclosure Day” is rated PG-13 and is currently playing in theaters. Directed by Steven Spielberg, known for the classic alien film “E.T.” (1982), which tells a heartwarming story about a marooned extraterrestrial and a young boy, this movie presents a similar supernatural science fiction theme.
Reflecting on my experiences watching Spielberg’s films, I vividly remember seeing “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), along with “Contact” (1997) and “Arrival” (2016). All of these movies share a common theme: they suggest that aliens are not here to harm us, but rather to teach us about ourselves, their existence, and the universe in which we are all significant parts.
Emily Blunt (Margaret), known for her outstanding role in “Devil Wears Prada 2,” takes center stage. She plays a weather reporter who begins speaking in a strange language while live on the air. She can also know everything about a person just by looking at them. We see early on that she has an unearthly power, although it’s not clear what is happening to her.
David Kellner (Josh O’Connor) is a cybersecurity expert-turned-whistleblower dodging his higher-uppers at the Wardex corporation, is an underground worker who helps the government keep the truth about aliens from going public for nearly 80 years. David, who had a change of heart about his line of work after watching a disturbing video about how an alien was treated, reconsiders his judgment. Yes, he thinks the truth should be shown to the world all at once.
His girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson), a former religious novice who semi-hides the cross she still wears, worries about the theological implications of this announcement. She cares for the people who’ve spent their lives worshipping a supreme being, and how they react to the existence of what some of them might consider actual supreme beings?
Emily Blunt is unsurpassed in her role and is now first in line to not only be nominated for an Academy Award, in my 20-year career as a film critic I feel she just may win. This is her standout performance of her career, portraying Margaret as a deeply compassionate heroine who not only strives to understand what’s happening to herself, but also helps the world understand what’s happening to it. In one of several deeply emotional scenes, she peacefully evades capture by appearing to a dozen different Wardex agents as departed or estranged loved ones and telling them something that only that person would know.
Again, this is Sarah Knight Adamson, Hollywood 360’s National Film and TV critic. ” Disclosure Day” is enjoyable, although parents should know it’s not suitable for younger children.
Sarah Knight Adamson June 13, 2026
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