Critics Have Seen Disclosure Day! Is Steven Spielberg Still the GOAT?

Critics Have Seen Disclosure Day! Is Steven Spielberg Still the GOAT?

Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, drops in theaters in a couple of weeks. With the press tour starting, it means that critics have now seen the film and the early social media reactions are out. What are the critics saying? Does this proof that Spielberg is still the goat? Let’s talk about it!

The Reviews

• “In a shock to absolutely no one, Steven Spielberg has delivered another towering home run with Disclosure Day…I was lucky enough to see the movie knowing almost nothing, and I strongly recommend you do the same…Emily Blunt is incredible. I know big summer movies aren’t usually the kinds of performances that get awards-season attention, but once people see what she does in this…” - Steven Weintraub 

• “Disclousre Day is the weirdest movie Spielberg’s ever made (complimentary). Breathtaking compositions, David Koepp’s X-Files meets The Bible script is one big high-wire act. Emily Blunt’s most accomplished performance, John Williams’ best score in years. Riveting, moving stuff.” - Bill Bria

• “Disclosure Day is top tier Spielberg, as exhibiting as Raiders of the Lost Ark but with the emotional texture & increased ambition of his post-9/11 work. Right from the opening Spielberg leads down the gauntlet and reminds you that he does this stuff better than anybody in the history of film.” - Jim Hemphill

• “Discloure Day is absolutely my phenomenal. Truly something special. I was hanging onto every word, captivated by the story as it all played out. The score perfectly elevates every single scene. Part mystery, part Twilight Zone, something new entirely. I shed a tear at the end. WOW.” - Tessa Smith (Mama’s Geeky)

• “I regret to inform you that Disclosure Day is not the best Spielberg movie in 20 years...But it is quite good. Beneath a mess of half-baked ideas and plot lines, the bones of classic Spielberg sci-fi are still strong enough to deliver a good romp.” - Jake 

• “Disclsoure Day is like E.T. and Lost in one. Steven Spielberg is all in on engaging mystery and some astounding bits of camera work. Emily Blunt is exhaustingly good, Colman Domingo stands out. It’s a mysterious, tense thrill that largely delivers what it promises. Good movie.” - Brandon Davis

My Thoughts: 

Not that I ever doubted Steven Spielberg, but it’s reassuring to see all of these positive reviews for the film. Like most people, this is one of my most anticipated movies of the year. For the most part, these very positive reviews came out of the first critic screenings of the film. 

Now, take these with a grain of salt, because there’s been times that the early reviews for some movies have been very positive and then the actual buzz is more negative. This happened with Michael back in April, where the early critic reviews were great but the Rotten Tomatoes score wasn’t good. 

But I love the fact that almost all of the critics are loving this film and showing that Spielberg still has that magic that made him a legend in the first place. People are praising the story and the mystery of the film, which is a good thing given the marketing has been built around the mystery of the film and whether or not aliens are real. One of the things that kind of surprised me, that maybe shouldn’t have, is all of the praise that Emily Blunt’s performance has been getting. That’s not meant to be a knock on Blunt, she’s one of my favorite actresses who’s been delivering great performances for years. But, every single review I’ve seen for this film has pointed out Blunt’s performance as a career best and some even saying that it’s Oscar worthy. That surprised me because I wasn’t thinking that any performances from this film were going to be Oscar contenders and it sounds like maybe Blunt could be that. Now, the last two reviews I wrote down were still positive but not glowing praise. One of the reviews said that some of the reviews felt undercooked and underdeveloped. Even the last one, from Brandon Davis said “…tense thrill that largely delivers what it promises. Good movie.” Maybe I’m reading too much into that, but it seems like maybe he even had some issues with the film that he didn’t fully elaborate on. 

Overall, these reviews don’t really change my excitement for the film. This was one of my most anticipated films of 2026 and it continues to be one of my most anticipated films of 2026. Steven Spielberg is one of my favorite directors of all time and I love that he’s still delivering great movies at his age.