‘Disclosure Day’ Is Dominating Early Reviews and Emily Blunt Might Just Win an Oscar for It

Steven Spielberg returning to the science fiction genre has been one of the most anticipated events in recent cinema, and the wait is almost over. ‘Disclosure Day’ follows meteorologist Margaret Fairchild, played by Emily Blunt, and whistleblower Daniel Kellner, played by Josh O’Connor, as they attempt to expose the truth about alien life while being pursued by the powerful Wardex corporation, headed by Colin Firth’s character Noah Scanlon. The screenplay was penned by David Koepp from a story by Spielberg himself, with production wrapped across New York, New Jersey, and Atlanta.

‘Disclosure Day’ marks Spielberg’s first new film since 2022’s ‘The Fabelmans’, and also reunites the director with composer John Williams. The ensemble cast took shape throughout 2024, drawing in Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, and Wyatt Russell alongside the lead players. The scale of the talent assembled, combined with the director’s well-documented fascination with extraterrestrial storytelling, made this one of the most buzzed-about projects heading into the summer blockbuster season.

When the first batch of critical responses arrived, they landed hard. The Tomatometer debuted at a Fresh 89% based on 56 reviews, validating the enormous wave of enthusiasm that had been building in the weeks prior. Ahead of the score’s reveal, a prediction market on Kalshi had placed the film’s expected score at around 90%, meaning the actual result fell almost precisely in line with what informed observers were anticipating.

The praise from critics has gone far beyond positive. Collider’s Steven Weintraub called it a “dense roller coaster ride blending chase film, love story, and mystery, all wrapped in sci-fi wonder,” describing it as Spielberg’s best film in 20 years and crediting Blunt with an all-time character performance. Critic Simon Thompson echoed the sentiment, calling the film “profound and deeply human” and noting its Williams score as some of the composer’s finest work, placing it alongside ‘E.T.’ and ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ as spiritual companion pieces.

The biggest headline emerging from the reviews is what they say about Blunt specifically. ScreenRant described Blunt as having the most difficult task of any performer in the film and called her “routinely the most captivating part of any scene she’s in,” singling out a particular sequence involving a newscast as a career-defining Spielberg oner. Variety’s first reactions piece featured critics flagging that her performance deserves awards-season attention despite the film arriving as a summer release.

With a reported production budget of $115 million, which sits on the lower end for a studio tentpole of this profile, ‘Disclosure Day’ is well-positioned to turn its critical momentum into genuine box office staying power. The film opens nationwide on June 12, heading into a stacked June that includes ‘Toy Story 5’ and other major releases. If its Tomatometer score holds or climbs as more reviews roll in, Spielberg may be looking at his most celebrated film in years.

With early buzz this strong around Emily Blunt’s performance, it is worth asking whether you think this is finally the role that earns her the Oscar, and whether ‘Disclosure Day’ has what it takes to become a sci-fi classic alongside the Spielberg films it is being compared to.