Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day lands strong 90% Rotten Tomatoes debut as early reviews praise sci-fi thriller

Steven Spielberg’s eagerly awaited sci-fi thriller, Disclosure Day, has already rallied to an impressive 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 99 critics. The high opening rating has added to the buzz over what will be Spielberg’s latest attempt to tell the kind of Alien tales that made him a legend.

Disclosure Day is a Spielberg film about alien life, and is his first major science-fiction film since War of the Worlds (2005) to focus on alien life. Longtime collaborator David Koepp wrote the mystery-thriller in which Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth and Eve Hewson star as the ramifications of humanity coming to terms with the reality of extraterrestrial life.

The official film synopsis says that the narrative is about “ordinary people in an extraordinary global event as long-hidden secrets about alien contact start to emerge.” Emily Blunt stars as Margaret Fairchild, a meteorologist who’s working in Kansas City who gains mysterious powers, while Josh O’Connor is cast as Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity expert, and whistleblower seeing the pursuit of a large company intent on keeping the secrets close to its chest.

Initial reactions to Spielberg’s big comeback to the genre that is the hallmark of his classics, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., have been overwhelmingly positive. The film’s emotional narrative, mystery and grand scale have been noted by many critics. The film has been called a thrilling return to Spielberg’s adventurous roots, as well as a meeting of conspiracy thriller elements and classic alien-contact storytelling, by the Associated Press and other critics.

However, not all reviews have been positive. The final act of the movie doesn’t always meet the intrigue set up in the first hour, some critics said. Despite that, the majority of reviews are positive, claiming that Spielberg’s direction, Emily Blunt’s acting, and themes of truth, empathy, and human connection make it one of the movie’s most eagerly awaited films of the summer. Some reviewers argued that the film’s script struggles to maintain momentum in its latter half, while others felt its exploration of alien life lacked the awe and originality of Spielberg’s earlier classics.

The positive Rotten Tomatoes rating comes after weeks of positive word-of-mouth from advance screenings, where many critics have dubbed Disclosure Day Spielberg’s best in years. It’s also the first time the director will work with composer John Williams on a 30th collaboration, which is a fitting tribute to the time the two have shared.

Disclosure Day has garnered a 90% critics score and has been buzzing around the world with praise from its critics. The audience reaction will be revealed once the film is released in theaters later this week, and should be critical.