The Speilberg effect

Ever wondered how The X-Files would have turned out if Steven Spielberg had been behind the project? The answer arrived last year in June, with the release of Disclosure Day, in which the master storyteller takes you on a ride that leaves you either confused or a believer.

Disclosure Day may mark Spielberg’s return to his most successful genre after an eight-year hiatus. His last attempt, Ready Player One, bombed at the box office in 2018 and may have prompted him to explore other genres. But naysayers forget that this was the same man who gave them Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, and War of the Worlds in the 1970s and 2000s. Another attempt in the genre can only benefit viewers.

The film centres on two individuals, Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) and Dr Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor), who share a connection neither of them knew about. Things become interesting when Margaret Fairchild starts speaking gibberish during her weather forecast, and Dr Kellner seems to be the only one who understands her.

Add to that the story of Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), head of the Wardex corporation, who loses many of his employees as soon as the whistleblowing Dr Kellner resigns, including Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), his director of Biological Assets, who defects.

What connects Dr Kellner and Ms Fairchild, and how they are related to one of the biggest cover-ups in the history of mankind, is what makes Disclosure Day one of the better movies to come out of Hollywood in recent years. Not only is it made like a film for the cinema, but it also keeps you engrossed, which, sadly, many recent releases have failed to do.

What’s certain is that even as he nears his 80th birthday, Steven Spielberg hasn’t slowed down, delivering a film that's exciting, emotional, and fun to watch. It’s the kind of movie that reminds us why science fiction can be both amazing and relatable.

At a time when science fiction movies are often too focused on special effects, Spielberg proves that telling a good story about the unknown is still magic. Disclosure Day feels like the work of a filmmaker who understands what made people love science fiction. Here is why I think the film works and should be emulated if sci-fi is to succeed.

Spielberg makes you believe

Before shows like The X-Files, Fringe, or even Roswell, Steven Spielberg was already making movies about alien invasions, abductions, and extraterrestrials. From Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET the Extra-Terrestrial to Minority Report and War of the Worlds, he has used science fiction to make us wonder, scare us, and reflect on ourselves.

With Disclosure Day, he goes a step further, revealing the reality of alien invasion and abduction in a way that will turn you into a believer, in the words of the legendary Agent Fox Mulder, played so elegantly by David Duchovny in The X-Files. He uses two central characters in the plot, connects them mysteriously, and, while the audience waits for their union, he employs a sleight of hand to deliver a revelation worth your time.

As a master storyteller, he understands that the best science fiction stories are not about aliens or technology; they are about people grappling with what they don’t understand. There is no doubt about his ability to call the shots in a sci-fi thriller. He proves that even after a break from the genre, he never left it. He still knows when to make us amazed and when to make us curious.

Fans of Steven Spielberg will be amazed by how he keeps them engrossed in the plot. The way he reveals the truth behind the government’s lies will make you want to clap in the theater; such is his control over you. As the mystery unfolds, we are drawn into a world where people begin to believe. By the end of the film, Spielberg has made us believe in extraterrestrials through his characters, a feat no small.

John Williams’ music lives on

A Spielberg film is not complete without John Williams’ music. He was there with his Jaws theme when the director was making his first major flick, and in his 90s, he is still here to lend a hand on Disclosure Day. A John Williams score not only complements the plot but also becomes a character in its own right, and if that’s not the reason the two have stayed together for over 50 years, I don’t know what is.

The score for Disclosure Day heightens the suspense and makes the emotional moments more powerful, giving the film its grand feel. The background score propels the story forward whenever it drags (not often), guiding us through moments of fear, discovery, and excitement. Even when nothing big is happening on screen, the score reminds us that we are watching something that will stay with us for a long time.

It is more of a throwback to the 1980s and 1990s, when the director-music director duo was on a roll with the Indiana Jones franchise, ET the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and Saving Private Ryan, which, judging from the elite company, is a great thing.

Emily Blunt leads

A good science fiction film needs actors to make it believable, and Disclosure Day has an amazing cast that complements the story. Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt carry the acting; while he is confused, untrusting, and unsure of what to do, she brings intelligence, vulnerability, and determination to the table, forming a full circle within the plot.

Be it sci-fi or not, Spielberg has always been adept at eliciting performances from actors, and Disclosure Day is no exception. The film wouldn’t have been complete without the valuable contributions of Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo, who are integral to the plot: Firth as the antagonist and the other two as supporting characters who embody the truth.

One must mention Eve Hewson, who not only looks radiant enough to stand out but has also come a long way since playing Maid Marian in Robin Hood in 2018. The same can’t be said for Wyatt Russell whose supporting role feels like a step down from playing US Agent in Thunderbolts.

No wasted moments

When was the last time you felt the urge to press the forward button while watching an action sequence in the theater, only to realise that skipping ahead isn’t an option? That happens a lot on Disclosure Day, when the tension rises so high that you want to end the film to lower your blood pressure, all in good fun.

The scenes where Colin Firth’s character talks to another character without being in the same room, using alien technology, are brilliantly executed. Both Colin Firth’s performance and the director’s execution are top-notch, and if that scene somehow reminds you of another Steven Spielberg film with a Colin in the cast—Minority Report with Colin Farrell—then you aren’t alone.

In that film, the director used ‘precognitives’ as a secret weapon, and here he uses alien technology to make the audience believe that such a thing can really happen. Such scenes raise the bar for other filmmakers to follow, especially at a time when science fiction isn’t being taken seriously as a genre capable of both entertaining and being profitable.

In short, the film’s strength lies in its pacing, which leaves no moments wasted. Despite its scope, Disclosure Day never feels too long or boring. The story moves forward, revealing details as it goes and raising new questions. Every scene is essential to the story, creating a sense of sustained excitement. The result is a film that is engaging from start to finish.

A classic action movie

And then there is the classic scene featuring a car struck by a train at the end of a train, with another train coming from the opposite direction and the leading couple somewhere in between. Such scenes are usually added to action flicks—like Mercury Rising and The Jackal in the past—but using them effectively here, in a more advanced technological world, was both risky and impressive. Risky because it might not have had the desired effect and impressive because the director knew he could pull it off.

Action is not for show; it advances the story, develops characters, or raises the stakes. Spielberg understands that action is most effective when we care about the people involved. The result is a series of sequences that are exciting because of what happens and to whom it happens.

There are also moments of shock, suspense, and emotional revelation that, under an experienced director, feel natural. The feeling of being made to witness something that could be the truth will keep you awake for a few days and might disturb you for longer, but that’s exactly why the director chose to make this film. It wasn’t made just for entertainment, because that’s how he does things now. He makes you think like his predecessors and succeeds big time here with a perfect flick that stays with the audience.

Powered by high-calibre performances and a magnificent score by John Williams, Disclosure Day is more than just another science fiction movie. It is a celebration of what makes Spielberg’s films special. With Disclosure Day, Spielberg reminds us why he is a craftsman who can never slow down, no matter the genre.

Yes, his last few films might not have done well at the box office, but that was because he was experimenting with different genres. Here, he is back in his element, blending the sense of wonder from his science fiction films with modern techniques and a great cast. He delivers a film that's exciting, emotional, and satisfying. Long after the credits roll, one feeling remains: the belief that no one tells stories about the extraordinary as Steven Spielberg does.

The writer is a freelance contributor who writes about film, television, and popular culture

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