Writer-director Steven Spielberg has spent nearly five decades asking audiences to look up at the sky and wonder what might be looking back. From Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) to War of the Worlds (2005) and even A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), life beyond the stars has remained one of the filmmaker’s most enduring fascinations. With Disclosure Day (2026), Spielberg returns to that obsession for possibly the final time, not as a dreamer imagining what could be out there, but as a believer grappling with what that may actually mean.
Perhaps more than any other science-fiction movie Spielberg has made before, Disclosure Day feels personal, and that’s saying something. It’s not because it’s autobiographical, but because it operates like a culmination of decades of curiosity, hope, and conviction. It’s an ambitious, capricious, and deeply moving conspiracy thriller that asks what humanity might actually do if the truth about alien life were finally placed directly before us. The result is one of the most thoroughly fascinating works from one of America’s greatest filmmakers and the best extraterrestrial story put to screen since Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016).
A Whistleblower and Weatherwoman on the Run
Co-written by longtime Spielberg collaborator David Koepp, Disclosure Day opens with young cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) stealing a cache of government secrets regarding extraterrestrial contact and decades of cover-up. Determined to leak the information to the world, he finds himself on the run alongside his girlfriend, Jane Blankenship (Eve Hewson), a former nun who is unaware of what her partner holds.
Elsewhere, Kansas City TV meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) begins experiencing inexplicable phenomena that leave her speaking in tongues. Her situation grows beyond comprehension as she also begins to understand the inner lives of complete strangers at a glance and develops a mysterious connection to Daniel despite never having met him. Compelled by the inexplicable need to find him, Margaret hits the road along with her disbelieving but good-natured partner, Jackson (Wyatt Russell).
Courtesy of Universal
The two duos are relentlessly pursued by the dangerous Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), the head of the shadowy Wardex organization dedicated to keeping the truth hidden, and the narratives race toward one another until they eventually collide. Disclosure Day isn’t so much an alien invasion movie like War of the Worlds or even Close Encounters. It’s more of an espionage thriller with a sci-fi edge, one that feels especially in tune with the ideas and themes of Minority Report (2002) and A.I., with some true-to-form Spielberg set pieces to back it all up.
Wonder Through Paranoia
One of the most refreshing aspects of Disclosure Day is how difficult it is to predict. In an era where trailers often reveal entire movies and blockbuster storytelling can be painfully formulaic, Steven Spielberg and David Koepp create something that genuinely keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have Colman Domingo (Michael, Sing Sing), who plays a mysterious Wardex defector named Hugo Wakefield, lend his iconic voice as a quasi-narrator to it all.
Disclosure Day frequently draws on inspirations like Three Days of the Condor (1975) and similar paranoid conspiracy thrillers, complete with government cover-ups, clandestine operations, and characters forced to question everything they thought they knew. With the extra angle of the government secrets in question concerning proof of alien contact, the film never loses the sense of awe that has always defined Spielberg’s biggest works.
Action and Empathy in Equal Reverence
Outside of the jaw-dropping and best-left-unspoiled climax, the middle stretch involving Daniel and Jane hiding out at a rural farmhouse stands among the film’s most impressive sequences. Spielberg orchestrates every movement with astonishing precision, turning simple conversations and moments of uncertainty into nail-biting suspense while delivering good old-fashioned, action-packed spectacle. Even after decades behind the camera, Spielberg and his longtime cinematographer Janusz Kamiński continue to stage stunning set pieces with a level of clarity and imagination that most filmmakers never achieve.
Courtesy of Universal
The movie’s biggest strength, however, is its insistence that empathy remains humanity’s defining superpower. For all its discussions of aliens, government secrecy, religion, and existential uncertainty, Disclosure Day ultimately becomes a story about understanding one another. Margaret’s growing ability to see and comprehend people on a deeper level transforms what could have been a cold philosophical exercise into something profoundly human. Spielberg has always been fascinated by connection, and here he elevates empathy into something rightfully divine.
An Out-of-This-World Cast
The film’s thematic focus is reinforced by an extraordinary cast. Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Smashing Machine) delivers one of the finest performances of her already illustrious career. She guides Margaret through fear, wonder, grief, and revelation with remarkable control and presence. As the audience surrogate, Blunt performs a staggering amount of emotional heavy lifting throughout Disclosure Day, and it’s easy to see why so many critics are already calling it an awards-worthy performance.
Josh O’Connor has had an impressive streak of diverse leading performances these past couple of years, from Challengers (2024) to The Mastermind (2025) to Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2005), and Daniel is no exception. He’s someone on a mission to expose the world’s biggest secret while harboring plenty of his own. This makes for a fascinatingly understated performance from O’Connor, where you hold on to his every word.
Although much of the marketing has understandably centered on Blunt, O’Connor, and Spielberg himself, it’s Eve Hewson (Jay Kelly, Bridge of Spies) who quietly emerges as the film’s secret weapon. Jane could have easily been reduced to a mere supporting player in Daniel’s story, but Hewson imbues her with an intelligence and spiritual weight that linger long after the credits roll. The character’s religious undertones become increasingly important as the plot progresses, and Hewson handles every beat beautifully.
Steven Spielberg’s Most Ambitious Film in Years
Of course, none of this would work without Steven Spielberg operating at the peak of his powers. This is arguably his heftiest project in some time, a large-scale blockbuster willing to wrestle with theology, extraterrestrial technology, government corruption, humanity’s place in the universe, and still find time to crash cars through walls and into trains. It’s kind of remarkable that Disclosure Day works as superbly as it does.
There are a few minor issues, though. Firstly, the computer-generated animals that play a vital role in this tale never quite convince, occasionally pulling you out of an otherwise immersive experience. Some key character details also remain intentionally vague by the film’s end, which may frustrate viewers looking for more concrete answers.
Yet, these shortcomings feel largely insignificant compared to what Spielberg accomplishes in the breathtaking final act. As the various storylines converge and the movie finally makes good on its premise, Disclosure Day transforms into something genuinely transcendent. At the risk of sounding like hyperbole, it is one of the greatest endings Spielberg has ever crafted.
‘Disclosure Day’ is Essential Sci-Fi
Disclosure Day leaves you wrestling with a deceptively simple question. If extraterrestrial life is real and has been real all along, what exactly changes? How does that knowledge alter our understanding of our beliefs and our place in this universe? Spielberg and Koepp’s script offers no easy answers. Instead, they invite viewers to sit with the uncertainty.
Like all great science fiction, Disclosure Day isn’t really about aliens at all. It’s about us. And few filmmakers have ever understood humanity better than the one and only Steven Spielberg.
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
‘Disclosure Day’ hits theaters on June 12!
Release Date: June 12, 2026.
Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Screenplay by David Koepp.
Story by Steven Spielberg.
Produced by Kristie Macosko Krieger & Steven Spielberg.
Executive Producers: Adam Somner, Chris Brigham, Eric Kimelton, & Graceann Dorse.
Main Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Elizabeth Marvel, Hettienne Park, Tommy Martinez, Gabby Beans, Jeremy Shamos, Revon Yousif, Elliot Villar, Noah Robbins, & Michael Gaston.
Cinematographer: Janusz Kamiński.
Composer: John Williams.
Editor: Sarah Broshar.
Production Company: Amblin Entertainment.
Distributor: Universal Pictures.
Runtime: 145 minutes.
Rated PG-13.
