I love science fiction films and books. I’m a sci-fi author, and I know exactly what I’m looking for in a story, be it a book or a film. I expect to be inspired, frightened, and shocked, but…unfortunately…Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, left me clueless.
Disclosure Day
I want to start out this review with a reminder that I normally don’t give out bad reviews, even if a film sucks big time, because that film, or television series was a work of love for the actors, directors, and film crew…so I might say something on the line that “This film was not my cup of tea, but you should see it and come up with your own opinion.”
That is what I would normally say, but Disclosure Day, directed and produced by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by David Koepp, was such a big disappointment by the end that I am still fuming. Mind you, the cast, which included the fabulous Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo, did their parts, and I have no beef with their acting skills. Honestly, any film with Emily Blunt is worth the eighteen-dollar ticket price. The plot has the world on the brink of World War 3. Tensions are high, but while a Kansas City meteorologist, Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) is talking about storm clouds, a cybersecurity specialist, Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) is stealing extraterrestrial technology from the Wardex CEO, Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth).
Daniel and his ex-nun girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson) are trying to deliver the alien technology to another defector, Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo) so that they can share the news to the world.
Conclusion
There were some really great chase scenes, and also a hint of Spielberg’s other sci-fi hits: Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T,, but instead of magic and inspiration, we were duped.
And…when it ended the way that it did…my daughter and I, along with the thirty other people in that theatre, just sat there in shock. No sound. No applause. Just confusion. What did the ending mean? Will there be a sequel to explain the ending?
As I said at the beginning of my review, I don’t like talking dirt about any film, and so I will end with this. Not my cup of tea.