A Day the Earth Stands Still
*Author’s note: to read the pdf version of this review, click here
My initial reaction to hearing that Steven Spielberg was returning to the Sci-Fi genre–the genre that he, for my money, excels at above all others-was “good ol’ Steve must feel like it’s been too long since he had a monster earner.” Ready Player One was already 8 years ago, and Spielberg’s next two films–a West Side Story remake (that no one seemed to want), and The Fabelmans (a movie that I, as someone who loves the art of filmmaking, enjoyed, but still felt like it catered to a niche audience) were not financial juggernauts the likes to which Spielberg is probably used to, so a return to form seemed like a good idea, and Disclosure Day looked like it had all of the makings (for my money) to restore Spielberg to his former glory. But with (the absolutely incredible) Project Hail Mary having just come out earlier this year, would it be possible for there to be two great alien movies this year?
Not only is it possible, but it’s a reality–and they are currently the two best movies that I have seen so far this year!
When you think of Spielberg’s Sci-Fi offerings, you mostly think of flashy special effects, which is fine–don’t get me wrong, I love some flashy special effects–but I am not one for movies that sacrifice feeling and story in lieu of said effects. Interestingly enough, Disclosure Day is quite the opposite offering–full on feels and storytelling, with minimal special effects. I know you’re saying “wait, what? A Spielberg Sci-Fi movie without the visual flare?” It’s true though: Disclosure Day focuses almost entirely on feeling and the experience, forcing the viewer to ponder what the impact of finally having the question “are we alone in the universe” definitively answered would be. That isn’t to say there aren’t any action set pieces, but they are more of the chase film variety than your typical Spielberg Sci-Fi outing (so more like an entire movie of people chasing E.T. as opposed to a single scene). Spielberg still brings the movie magic as only he can, but it definitely takes a backseat to the storytelling.
The storytelling itself is strong, for the most part. I truly feel like the sheer genius of (frequent Spielberg collaborator) David Koepp’s screenplay (sidenote: go check out Koepp’s filmography–guy is a screenplay legend) is how it does this wonderful job of coming at the revelation of alien existence from the full perspective–that is considering not only the social ramifications, but also the religious ones. Maybe it is just coincidental timing for me having just read Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible–a novel that makes the argument that religion and science are both aspects of “the Holy Trinity”–but I don’t know if I have ever watched a movie and gotten closer to feeling like I personally could envision a world or a time where science and religion could walk hand in hand with one another, and for me that is a big deal.
I will say the biggest gripe I have with the film though also comes from a writing standpoint in that there really isn’t enough time to dedicate to properly developing all of its characters, chief among them Wardex–the DOD assisted company seeking to keep alien existence under wraps. Wardex just kind of is–and supposedly has been–around to both maximize what is possible/profitable by reverse engineering alien artifacts and tech, while also ensuring that the truth never gets out. The sheer lack of developing Wardex–and by extension, its CEO/lead villain of the film Noah Scanlon–is that, in the year 2026, we don’t really need to have these corporate type villains’ motivations fleshed out to us, because we experience them on a daily basis.
Disclosure Day features amazing performances from its entire cast, but the true standout–and really the only aspect of the film that I feel like is getting talked about at all–is Emily Blunt. I love Emily Blunt: I feel like she is one of the better actresses in terms of being able to balance serious emotional depth with razor sharp comedic timing. While there is some of that comedic timing on display early in the film (full disclosure, there isn’t much in this movie in the way of laughs), her performance as meteorologist turned precog Margaret Fairchild in Disclosure Day is more boon’d by her ability to turn on and off this aspect of her character being autonomous but not fully (the Obsession crowd that is seemingly so in love with this discussion concerning that movie can have it here, too, and will even have an answer as to what it is that possesses her), balancing being a once normal human now endowed with otherworldly knowledge. Blunt is absolutely fantastic, and rightfully deserves all of the praise she has been getting.
While Blunt is the for sure standout, her three leads do their fair share of pitching in. Colin Firth plays Noah Scanlon like a good Batman villain: Scanlon is highly intelligent and ruthless, but you can tell there are layers to him, and it’s a shame the character’s backstory has to be reduced merely to a subplot. Josh O’Connor plays Dr. Daniel Kellner, the foil to Blunt’s fairchild. O’Connor does a good job portraying Kellner as a person who understands the toll that being imbued with one of humanity’s greatest secrets takes, and while he spends the majority of the film on the run, there are moments late in the film where he is allowed to showcase his full range as an actor. Truly though, the one character I really wished got more time to shine is Colman Domingo’s Hugo Wakefield. Hugo is essentially the driving force behind the events of the film, yet we never get much of an idea why besides a few lines of dialogue between him and Scanlon. I doubt it will happen, but I would be game for a Hugo prequel that details his initial experiences with the aliens.
Overall Disclosure Day is a brilliantly poignant entry to Spielberg’s already stacked legacy. True story: as I was leaving the theater, I heard an older gentleman say he thought that this is Spielberg’s “best movie ever”; I don’t know if I can go that far–Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List might still top Disclosure Day for me–but it is for sure his The Day the Earth Stood Still (the awesome original one, not the crappy remake), and it very well might be his best science fiction film, which in and of itself is high praise. I would argue that the timing for this film is absolute lightning in a bottle–you could not have planned its release any better with all that is going on politically!
Disclosure Day is a masterpiece that I wish more people were talking about. It’s an expertly crafted, profound movie that definitely hit me in my feels, and one that warrants repeat viewings (there are so many little details concerning religion that Spielberg masterfully slips in that it is impossible to find them all on a single viewing). The film also features (not enough of, if I am being honest) an impressive John Williams score.
While the jury may still be out in terms of exactly where this movie will land in terms of Spielberg’s legacy, for my money it’s pretty high up there, and if a filmmaker would legit be tasked with disclosing the existence of extra terrestrial life, it would no doubt be Steven Spielberg.