Hey Mofos! 

I’m back with another movie review, and this time it’s for Disclosure Day, the new Steven Spielberg thriller starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo.

Now, y’all already know Spielberg and aliens go together like me and a good nostalgic rabbit hole, so I was curious to see where he was going with this one.

So what’s the movie about?

Disclosure Day follows Margaret Fairchild, a Kansas City meteorologist who finds herself pulled into a mystery after something strange happens during one of her weather reports. While Margaret tries to make sense of what is happening to her, Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity expert and whistleblower, is sitting on information about extraterrestrial life that some powerful people clearly do not want the world to know. As the truth starts coming out, Daniel is trying to expose what he knows while also protecting Jane, the woman he loves, because this is not just about aliens. It is about secrets, survival, and what happens when the truth is too big to stay hidden.

Now let me start with Ms. Margaret because the former news producer in me was activated almost immediately.

Mofos, I have worked in TV news for 50'levum years. I know how chaotic a newsroom can be. I know what it feels like when breaking news is happening, when scripts are changing, when graphics are missing, when producers are yelling in headsets, and when everybody is trying to make it to air without losing their minds.

So when Margaret showed up with about three minutes to spare before her weather hit and somehow still went on like everything was fine, I had questions. Ma’am, where are your maps? Where is the radar? Did you look at the forecast? Did you check the models? Did you talk to the producer? Did anybody tell the director what was happening? Weather reports do not just appear because someone walks in and points at a screen. Now, that is not me saying the TV studio scenes in the beginning did not work. They did. I liked how the movie used Margaret’s job to pull us into the story. 

Let me get back to the matter at hand. Emily Blunt does a good job with Margaret because she brings that mix of confusion, fear, and determination. Margaret is not walking around like she has all the answers. She is trying to figure things out in real time, and Blunt makes that believable.

Disclosure Day starts leaning more into the mystery of what is really going on and who is trying to keep the truth from getting out. That is where Daniel comes in. He has information that could change everything, but having the truth and being able to safely expose it are two very different things.

Daniel’s part of the story worked better for me emotionally because his stakes felt personal. He is not just trying to expose what he knows. He is trying to survive long enough to do it. And with Jane caught up in the danger with him, he is also trying to protect the woman he loves while everything around them is falling apart. Personally, Jane would have been left, but this isn't my story. 

Jane, played by Eve Hewson, is not just some random girlfriend thrown into the movie. She keeps Daniel rooted in love when fear could easily take over. Their relationship gives the movie some heart because Daniel is not only risking his own life for the truth. He is trying to save his ass and hers too.

That made his side of the story more interesting to me because it is one thing to chase the truth when it only costs you something. It is another thing when the person you love is pulled into the danger right along with you.

Josh O’Connor gives Daniel a nervous, desperate energy that works for the character. He knows too much, but he also knows knowing too much can get you killed. Eve Hewson brings warmth to Jane, and I liked that she helped balance out the chaos surrounding Daniel. There is also a spiritual layer with Jane that stood out to me. She wears a cross necklace, and without giving too much away, that symbol of faith becomes more than just jewelry when danger comes directly for her. I liked that the movie gave Jane that moment because it added another piece to who she is and what she holds onto when things get terrifying. It made me think of Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper,” because in that moment, her faith feels like protection. It's like she puts on the armor of God in those moments. AMEN! 

Colin Firth plays Noah Scanlon, and baby, that man is like a lot of managers, doing what he has to do to protect the interest of higher ups.  He brings that calm, polished villain energy that makes you uncomfortable because he is not loud with it. He is the kind of character who can sit there looking respectable while doing absolutely foul things, but will throw a scripture in for good measure, faith crisis much?  Colman Domingo also stands out because, well, he is Colman Domingo. He has a presence that makes you pay attention whenever he is on screen. I forgot I had just seen him as Joe Jackson. Goodness, that man be acting his tail off. 

As for the movie itself, Disclosure Day is more mystery-thriller than action movie. If you are going in expecting nonstop alien chaos from beginning to end, this may not be that. The movie takes its time. It builds the mystery, follows the characters, and lets the idea of disclosure hang over everything. The film has some pacing issues and some WTF and why are y'all moving so slow cuz real TV news doesn't work like this moments. 

For me, the most interesting part was not simply “Are aliens real?” The movie is more interested in who knows the truth, who is keeping it from the public, and what people are willing to do to keep control of the story. It's also a reminder to LISTEN to yourself, and discover what is real within you and your own story. You control that narrative. 

After all, aren't we all just aliens of some sort?

Also, I wonder if a sequel will emerge from this?

The film is in theaters on June 12. Let me know if you go see it! 

~Meik