Movie Review

Steven Spielberg returns to alien territory in captivating Disclosure Day

Tommy Martinez, Emily Blunt, and Josh O'Connor in Disclosure Day.

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

With the release of Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg has now directed 17 feature films over 26 years in the 21st century, the exact same number over the exact same period of time he did in the 20th century. The first half of his career was mostly defined by his blockbuster films, while the second half has seen him exploring a lot more serious material. Disclosure Day marries the two for an experience only he could deliver.

The film starts in medias res, as Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) is being pursued by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) and a team of henchmen for stealing intellectual property from Wardex, a government contractor for which he works. As the audience gradually discovers, Daniel is a cyber-security programmer who has discovered evidence of alien life in the company’s servers. He and others within the company, including Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), are determined to release the information to the public.

Concurrently, television meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) starts experiencing weird things, including the ability to speak multiple languages and read people’s minds. Without either of them actively trying to seek each other out, Daniel and Margaret are set on a path to meet, with Scanlon (with the help of a mysterious alien device) trying to track their every move.

Directed by Spielberg and written by David Koepp, the film is an almost even mix between classic Spielberg wonder and a deep story about what it is to be human. By starting the film in the middle of the story, Spielberg immediately ramps up the excitement level. While the movie has relatively little action, that sequence and a few others deliver the type of propulsiveness for which Spielberg is revered, keeping the 145-minute film moving at a brisk pace.

Of the different types of alien movies Spielberg has made over the years, this one is closer to Close Encounters of the Third Kind than E.T. The story ponders the ethical, religious, political, and sociological effects that revealing the existence of aliens could have on the world. The debates had by various characters purposefully take the film out of being a sheer popcorn flick, forcing the audience to grapple with issues that they may have never considered before.

Unlike some other Spielberg films, he and Koepp don’t hold the audience’s collective hand throughout the story. There are a lot of times when viewers have to use context clues to understand exactly what is happening. That especially goes for an extremely important aspect of the world in which the story takes place that could pass you by if you’re only paying attention to the main characters’ dialogue. Spielberg’s using only subtle allusions for an element which would be the main focus of most other films is a fascinating choice.

O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man, Challengers) has that everyman quality that a story like this needs. It always feels like it's him against the world, and does a terrific job of exuding both confidence and fear. Blunt delivers a fantastic performance, switching between confusion and composure with ease. Firth makes for a solid villain, and the story is helped by great turns from Domingo and Eve Hewson.

The idea that the nearly 80-year-old Steven Spielberg is still making blockbuster-style movies over 50 years after he made Jaws is astonishing, and the fact that he still knows how to make them work is even more impressive. Disclosure Day may not be the type of alien movie many were expecting, but it’s another high water mark in a career that has been full of them.

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Disclosure Day opens in theaters on June 12.

movies film

Weekend Event Planner

These are the 17 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Photo courtesy of FIFA World Cup 2026 Dallas

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Only those who've been under a rock will have missed that this weekend in and around Dallas will be headlined by the beginning of the FIFA World Cup, which will be celebrated with the first local game and a festival for fans. Other choices include eight local theater productions, three concerts, an SNL comedian, a unique art event, and two dance productions.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out our calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, June 11

FIFA Fan Festival Dallas
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday, with the first match featuring Mexico against South Africa in Mexico City. Fans can experience the excitement of the world’s biggest sporting event at this fest in Fair Park, which will feature live match broadcasts, entertainment across two festival stages, interactive experiences, and more. The festival will be open on all days featuring World Cup matches through July 19.

Theatre Three presents Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
After meeting on a train, lavish conman Lawrence Jameson and shifty hustler Freddy Benson discover they both make their livings swindling rich woman of their fortunes. When an attempt to work together fails, they embark on a not-so-friendly competition to be the first to score $50,000 from young heiress Christine Colgate. The production runs through July 12 at Theatre Three.

Ben Rector: Symphonies Across America with Jon McLaughlin
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present celebrated singer-songwriter Ben Rector with Symphonies Across America, featuring Jon McLaughlin. Pulling from more than 15 years of cross-country travel as a touring artist, Rector brings anthem sing-a-longs; quippy humor; and deep, meaningful lyrics, all backed by orchestra arrangements. There will be performances on both Thursday and Friday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Undermain Theatre presents The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe
Jane Wagner’s ever-timely, iconic, one-woman show, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, examines American society, art, and human connectivity and explores the feminist movement. As one actor transforms into a series of other archetypal characters, they become the play’s guiding conscience for the audience - a comical, quirky, and outlandish conveyor of the nuances of American society. The production runs through June 28 at Undermain Theatre.

Dallas Comedy Club presents James Austin Johnson
James Austin Johnson is a comedian and actor who's currently a cast member on Saturday Night Live, where he is widely recognized for his uncanny portrayal of Donald Trump. Known for his prolific voice-over work in both TV and film, his acting credits include Barry, Better Call Saul, She Said, and Hail, Caesar!. In 2024, he appeared in two Oscar-nominated films, voicing Pouchy in Inside Out 2 and making a cameo in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. Johnson will perform five times through Saturday at Dallas Comedy Club.

Lewisville Playhouse presents Rent
Rent is a rock musical loosely based on the 1896 opera La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Lower Manhattan's East Village, in the thriving days of the bohemian culture of Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice, and living for today. The production runs through June 28 at Lewisville Playhouse.

Friday, June 12

AURORA presents Video Art Night Denton
Video Art Night Denton is an immersive outdoor exhibition, presented by AURORA, of video artworks from 10 leading regional and national artists. In addition to the exhibition of video, visitors can enjoy live music by The Dead Thing and purchase snacks and beverages from Kona Ice and Brooklyn Dawgs. A cash bar will be available from Union Bear. The one-night event takes place at Quakertown Park.

Clark, Pell & King Productions presents Momma Won't Die
Inspired by true events, Momma Won’t Die follows three generations of Southern women navigating death, dysfunction, and long-buried family tensions as their 108-year-old matriarch refuses to let go. Packed with sharp humor, emotional honesty, and eccentric small-town characters, the play blends Southern Gothic charm with heartfelt family storytelling. The production runs through June 28 at Bryant Hall in the Kalita Humphreys Theater complex.

Charlie Puth in concert
Singer Charlie Puth is one of the more inventive artists working today, using his innate sense of musicality to not only craft great songs, but also come up with improvised tunes at the drop of a hat. Best known for the No. 1 hit "See You Again" with Wiz Khalifa, he's also collaborated with Meghan Trainor, Selena Gomez, James Taylor, Elton John, and more. He'll play at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving in support of his new album, Whatever's Clever!.

Art Centre Theatre presents The Princess Bride: The Parody
In this parody version of The Princess Bride, a young woman named Buttercup is forced to become engaged to the villainous Prince Humperdinck after her true love, Westley, is presumed dead. She is kidnapped by a trio of outlaws, but they are pursued by a mysterious man in black who defeats them one by one. He is eventually revealed to be a surviving Westley, and the two reunite to face the prince's wrath and navigate the dangerous world together. The production runs through July 5 at Art Centre Theatre in Plano.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Riverdance 30: The New Generation
To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Riverdance will present a production that rejuvenates the original show with new choreography and costumes and state-of-the-art lighting, projection, and motion graphics. And for the first time, Riverdance welcomes “The New Generation” of performers, all of whom were not born when the show began 30 years ago. There will be four performances through Sunday at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.

Soul Rep Theatre Company presents Ted Shine New Play Festival: Sankofa
Soul Rep Theatre Company's biennial Ted Shine New Play Festival is a cornerstone of the company’s commitment to nurturing Black playwrights and advancing new work. Presented in honor of the legendary playwright Ted Shine, the festival is both a tribute and a call forward. This year’s event embraces the theme of “Sankofa,” a word from the Akan language of Ghana meaning “to go back and get it.” The festival runs through June 21 at South Dallas Cultural Center.

Mainstage Irving-Las Colinas presents The Gods of Comedy
Daphne and Ralph are young classics professors who have just made a discovery that's sure to turn them into academic superstars. But something goes disastrously wrong, and Daphne cries out in a panic, "Save me, gods of ancient Greece!" … and the gods actually appear. The Ivy League will never be the same as a pair of screwball deities encounter the carnal complexity of college coeds, campus capers, and conspicuous consumption. The production runs through June 27 at Irving Arts Center.

Theatre Coppell presents Gypsy
Gypsy is the ultimate tale of an ambitious stage mother fighting for her daughter’s success - while secretly yearning for her own. Set all across America in the 1920s and ’30s, when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born, Arthur Laurents’ landmark show explores the world of two-bit show business with brass, humor, heart, and sophistication. The production runs through June 28 at Coppell Arts Center.

Bruce Wood Dance presents Ignite
Bruce Wood Dance will close out their 16th season with Ignite, where Bruce Wood's fiery tango and Jessica Lang's haunting dreamscapes converge with a cutting-edge world premiere by Joy Bollinger, featuring multimedia environments by JM Rizzi and Courtney Ware. There will be three performances through Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Saturday, June 13

Don Toliver in concert
Rapper Don Toliver, a Houston native, has been at the top of the genre since his debut in 2020. Each of his five albums have made the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, culminating with his new album, Octane, which went to No. 1. Toliver is known for tracks like "No Pole,” “Private Landing” featuring Justin Bieber, “No Idea,” “After Party,” “Lemonade,” and “Bandit.” He'll perform at American Airlines Center.

Sunday, June 14

FIFA World Cup: Netherlands vs. Japan
Dallas-Fort Worth will finally get its close-up four days into the 2026 FIFA World Cup when Netherlands faces off against Japan at ~~AT&T Stadium~~ Dallas Stadium in Arlington. This match will be the first of five group stage matches at the stadium, with other games featuring England, Croatia, Argentina, Austria, Sweden, and Jordan. It will also host four other to-be-determined matches, including a semi-final game.

Photo courtesy of FIFA World Cup 2026 Dallas

FIFA Fan Festival Dallas runs June 11-July 19 at Fair Park.

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