By Steve Crum
Paranoia, uncertainty and fear run rampant in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day. Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth and Colman Domingo, Disclosure Day’s 145 minutes has some of the most terrific daredevil chase sequences in film history. (And most are old film school, non CGI, performed by stunt people to perfection.)
Based on a story idea by Spielberg, and screen scribed by David Koepp, the plot involves cybersecurity expert Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) stealing proof that extraterrestrial life has existed on earth for years. Yes, Roswell, New Mexico is not only referenced but becomes a major crux in the storyline with the military’s actual footage of captured aliens. (It’s not real, but certainly looks real.)
Regarding Spielberg’s fascination with aliens, Roswell and the like have been his lifelong interest and passion. He’s explored alien possibilities in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E. T., AI Artificial Intelligence, and War of the Worlds. In a recent interview, Spielberg refers to this as “my canon of extraterrestrial stories.” As such, Disclosure Day is most reminiscent of Close Encounters.
The plot buzzes when a Kansas City TV meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) begins experiencing odd events at home—like a red cardinal flying into her kitchen. Segue to her workplace when Margaret begins speaking gibberish during a weather forecast, and collapses. Once the footage goes vital, Wardex, a 
government agency aware of alien existence, seeks out Margaret for experimentation. This also draws interest by Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo) the leader of an agency (the good guys) trying to seek the truth of government coverup and protect Margaret.
Essentially, Disclosure Day then becomes a chase film with Margaret and Josh teaming to elude Wardex leader Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) and his team—essentially 
the bad guys. (Is it coincidence they are reminiscent of ICE agents?)
En route by car to meet Wakefield and his team, enjoy the edgy action stunt work involving a car and a house. Even more spectacular is a car versus train event. Awesome and unforgettable.
As time progresses, Margaret’s ability to mind meld increases, adding to the wild tension. By the way, the film’s cast is great; Emily Blunt is extraordinary.
Disclosure Day is surreal. It is also dreamlike and scary. Frequently, it is confusing. Like Close Encounters, the focus is on a chosen human prepped to link with alien beings.
But the fact is many humans buy into the existence of extraterrestrials…via a conspiracy theory that has existed for decades. Such is the gist of Disclosure Day.
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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A-