Very few filmmakers have enough star power to draw audiences to theaters in the modern day. One of those few is Steven Spielberg (Raiders of the Lost Arc; The Fabelmans). Every time his name appears on a poster, in a commercial, or in a trailer, it immediately gets the audience’s attention. His latest film, Disclosure Day, is attempting the same feat. One of the film’s most clever choices is its limited marketing revelations. To keep a similar rhythm here, my plot synopsis will remain short and sweet. Disclosure Day follows a whistleblower (Josh O’Connor) who holds onto deeply kept government secrets. When his attempts to release this information run afoul of shady government forces (led by Colin Firth), he finds himself alongside a meteorologist (Emily Blunt) who may know more than she appears to.
Steven Spielberg’s films are more than just a trip to a multiplex. Every single one of his works feels like a cinematic event. They are designed to captivate audiences, taking them on an adventure and prompting them to ruminate on broader ideas. Disclosure Day delivers in this regard, offering audiences a more thought-provoking blockbuster. Simultaneously, the film also succeeds as an engaging thriller. Existing in the space of a paranoid ‘70s thriller (à la Three Days of the Condor (1975) meets Minority Report (2002)), the results are infectious. The combination of tense, fast-paced action sequences and (mostly) to-the-point dialogue results in riveting scenes. That is, until the film wants to slow down to express the thoughts and ideas on its mind.
Half the fun of Disclosure Day lies in audiences finding breadcrumbs of information from the characters. This includes world-building that throws the audience directly into the story. It’s an effective spin on his familiar filmmaking beats, until the film falls victim to an overarching problem plaguing Spielberg’s filmography. In the past, Spielberg’s work always teetered into a territory of speechifying story points. Here in Disclosure Day, however, Spielberg seems to be correcting for this.
When certain plot mechanics have to be explained, the film becomes significantly less engaging by eliminating some of the tension built up by the slow unspooling of information before. Such speechifying includes characters having conversations that provide information the audiences already has, making the film feel tedious and repetitive. Yet, Disclosure Day never takes its foot off the gas pedal thanks to the assembled talent.
The cast is a talented and capable ensemble with a strong ambition to deliver on the ideas in David Koepp’s (Jurassic Park; War of the Worlds) screenplay. Praise and accolades have to start by celebrating Emily Blunt’s (Oppenheimer) performance. In the wrong actor’s hands, this character can be nothing more than a panicked individual. While Blunt conveys such traits, the performance gives her character, Margaret, a raw and honest humanity. There is a genuine sense of concern and flustered energy delivered that feels realistic to the situation. As the film progresses, Blunt’s emotional understanding delivers one of the year’s best performances. Viewers sympathize with her fear and also cheer for her to find the truth.
On the flip side of that coin is Josh O’Connor (Challengers) as the whistleblower who sets the story in motion. Disclosure Day pushes O’Connor into leading man territory, which is a task he is more than capable of delivering on. As this whistleblower, O’Connor’s Daniel has to know everything (or most of it) in ways that audiences won’t. He is a messenger slowly revealing the truth. His likable on-screen persona and general “man on the run” (most of the time) energy make the character an effective conduit. It’s a welcome contrast to Blunt’s character, making them both leads you can care for.
What’s lacking is the development of the supporting characters. They are exposition devices with little discernible personality. Actors like Coleman Domingo (Sing Sing), Colin Firth (Mary Poppins Returns), Eve Hewson (Bridge of Spies), Wyatt Russell (Everybody Wants Some!!), and Elizabeth Marvel (True Grit) are terrific actors. Each one has an engaging screen presence and crafts compelling characters, but falls victim to the screenplay. Instead of actual characters, they serve as more emotional and sometimes comedic anchors for Margaret and Daniel. That means more than just providing purposeful energy, but giving audiences something to linger on long after the credits roll.
Disclosure Day is a welcome reminder of why Steven Spielberg is one of the best filmmakers in the game. Its propulsive, fast-paced, and exciting energy is simply hard to ignore. For 145 minutes, viewers are swept up in an engaging and mysterious adventure through an Oscar-worthy performance by Emily Blunt alongside a talented (if slightly underused) supporting ensemble. While the ambitions don’t always pay off, the questions posed by the screenplay are heavy and worth the rumination. The ideas certainly don’t fully come together, but the combination of elements creates one of the summer movie season’s most exhilarating experiences.
In theaters June 12th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Disclosure Day website.
Final Score: 4.5 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, In Theaters, Recommendation, Reviews
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