‘Disclosure Day’ review: Spielberg remains the master of sci-fi blockbusters

Having invented the modern summer blockbuster with Jaws more than 50 years ago, Steven Spielberg has never left the public consciousness. The American director is probably still the world’s most famous filmmaker and easily the biggest influence on the man most likely to assume his mantle – Christopher Nolan. Spielberg’s best known for sci-fi spectaculars and with Disclosure Day, he returns to fertile territory with the sort of exciting, probing and full-bodied feature that only he can make.

We begin with a scene at a wrestling match and (subsequently) its car park. Would-be-whistleblower Daniel Kellner (Challengers’ Josh O’Connor) is trading a backpack of mysterious data dongles for the freedom of his girlfriend Jane (Bad Sisters’ Eve Hewson). Forcing the exchange for shadowy agency Wardex is Noah Scanlon (a delightfully villainous Colin Firth), who’s in charge of covering up the very secrets Daniel is desperate to unveil. The trade doesn’t go to plan for Noah, and Daniel and Jane disappear into the night, hiding with the virtual help of former Wardex man Hugo (Colman Domingo). Meanwhile, over in Kansas City, weathergirl Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) is having a very weird morning – accidentally reading minds, speaking Korean without having any knowledge of the language and fainting after a broadcast in which she garbled in a completely unknown dialect composed of creepy clicking noises.

At the hospital following her bizarre public display, Margaret realises the men waiting for her aren’t there to help, so rushes off in the vague direction of Daniel. He’s holed up at a rural safe house, but is still being pursued by Noah. Thanks to a supernatural telepathic device, he can locate Jane and warp her mind into attacking Daniel. It’s intriguingly paranoid stuff, channeling 1970s conspiracy thrillers The Parallax View and Three Days Of The Condor. There’s a big reveal coming but after a full hour of build up, some viewers will be wishing it arrived a little quicker.

Still, the pay-off in the second half of the film really brings the juice. As Wardex officers close in on the safe house, there’s a thrilling car chase and, later, an extraordinary and nerve-shredding train sequence that’s easily one of the best scenes of the year. It would be unfair to reveal exactly how it all comes together but fans of Spielberg’s iconic 1982 movie E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and modern classic Minority Report will be sated.

There’s an impressively strong cast throughout but Blunt is a stand-out. She continues her fine run of form in a role that requires a great deal from her. The real star is the director, though. Aside from marshalling some beautiful emotive moments and the frankly stunning action sequences, he devised the original story which was then turned into a script by regular collaborator David Koepp. Some will balk at moments in the conclusion which veer too sentimental, while others will wish for a shorter running time. Ultimately, even not-quite-top-tier Spielberg is well worth seeing. It’s big, smart and very satisfying cinema.