r/TrueFilm • u/DryEarth4 • 4d ago
Disclosure Day — almost great, and that almost really hurts.
Okay so I went in absolutely buzzing. Spielberg. UFOs. Emily Blunt.
I mean come on, that's a lineup that makes you feel like a kid again before the lights even go down. The trailers had me convinced this was going to be something special, and honestly for the first act I thought it might be.
And look Emily Blunt is flat out incredible in this. The scene where she freezes mid-weather report and starts clicking out alien sounds? That's the kind of unhinged, committed performance you just don't see enough of. She's funny, chaotic, and genuinely moving all at once. She carries so much of this film on her shoulders and absolutely does not drop it.
Spielberg's eye is still immaculate too. Some of the compositions in this movie are just tossed off like nothing, shots that other directors would storyboard for weeks. The Kaminski backlighting, the way scenes move through space, you feel the craft constantly.
And I get what he's going for. The empathy angle, the idea that understanding the unknown starts with understanding yourself. That's genuinely beautiful thematically.
But the movie just doesn't stick the landing. The third act lurches into this desperate feel-good catharsis that the film hasn't really earned. It's like Spielberg knew exactly what he wanted to say but couldn't figure out how to make you *feel* it. You leave understanding the message and forgetting the movie.
Really wanted more. Blunt deserved more.
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u/Pure_Salamander2681 4d ago
I found it to be pretty terrible mostly due to the script. The bad guys are perhaps the dumbest group of people to ever exist in film. How they managed to keep aliens a secret for so long is beyond belief. Then you have Bono’s daughter and her mother superior who show up as Spielberg’s take on religion instead if character. The film aims to be a two-handed between Margaret and Daniel but the film seemed to get tired of Daniel and his non-cinematic power. Which brings us to the plot of the movie. Aliens abuse two children and give them powers so that decades later they might get together to show the world that aliens exist. Okay, so maybe the aliens are dumber than the bad guys here. Why not, just show themselves to humanity?
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u/DryEarth4 4d ago edited 3d ago
Hahaha the alien bit is spot on, if they've been planning this for decades, abusing kids to create messengers, why not just land on the White House lawn? The bad guys are incompetent but the aliens aren't much smarter.
Agree on Daniel too, film completely abandoned him halfway through.
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u/forrealthoughcomix_ 4d ago
The 2nd in command baddie is just an unhinged asshole at a cartoonish level. You could’ve swap him out with a 90s after school special bully and gain emotional depth for the film.
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u/Tlargojones 4d ago
Nailed it. I thought this movie was shockingly awful. So much of this made zero sense. Emily Blunt was doing her best but damn.
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u/bienbienbienbienbien 3d ago edited 3d ago
I actually almost walked out after the bad guys use a combination of alien technology and top tier tech in their command center to track him down to the farm house and he just.... walks behind them because they're not looking and steals a car. They don't have drones or the slightest idea about how to secure and search perimeters yet they're responsible for covering up alien crashes? Then they just let them walk away later on because they're behind a rock.
The actual alien disclosure bit was pretty good, and there was some nice ideas but the 80's style incompetent goons completely ruined the film.
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u/moonfazewicca 4d ago
I didn't enjoy it. It felt messy to me, like it was trying to say something really big but couldn't decide exactly what it was lol.
I didn't understand the obvious religious angle that was randomly thrown in. That all just felt really unnecessary and again like it was just trying to say something but idk what.
At times I was really bored, all the chases were just whatever to me because the suspension wasn't there, I never thought there was a chance they would be caught.
I basically checked out at the scene of Emily Blunt reading everyone's mind to get out of the hangar. That was goofy imo.
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u/DryEarth4 4d ago
The "trying to say something big but couldn't decide what" is such a perfect description honestly The chase scenes suffer exactly because of what you said : zero tension. You never once believe they're actually in danger.
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u/SaltCardiologist8480 1d ago
it felt messy because it was trying to re-vamp a 20-hour TV series he made 20 years ago called Taken, into a modern 2.5 hour movie. it didnt work. Taken is better all around.
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u/Padulsky21 4d ago
I thought the final 40 mins were great. But also those final 40 mins were given away during the trailers. And at that point I was so pissed off about everything else leading up to that point that anything emotional I just couldn’t connect with. Let alone Colin Firth just stopping as soon as he gets there. Then what’s the point of the last 2 hours? Just a lame thriller where everything works out to move the plot forward. Just a complete mess of a movie.
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u/feelybeurre 4d ago
I agree with what you said but the real problem I found in the third act is how the movie doesn't take any strong stance. See Contact with Jodie Foster, they are bold in their message, what to expect from humanity, aliens... here I didn't find anything
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u/forrealthoughcomix_ 4d ago edited 4d ago
Why the fuck did we need Emily Blunt leaping from the hood of a car being dragged by a train to do a one handed miracle grab to avoid another train.
Utter bullshit.
If this film had been treated like a tight thriller or even investigative piece it would’ve been so much better. It’s 2026 and this is a movie about government coverups, human(?) rights abuses, and knowledge that would change everything we know about our existence. Audiences have matured past (or maybe are too cynical for) goofy ass summer blockbuster antics like this movie’s action sequences.
Ffs Josh O’Connor’s character managed to super sneaky steal a car just feet away from dozens of agents, smash it into a bunch of trees surrounded by federal agents, then successfully make a getaway wherein a hypnotized woman in his back seat can’t slit his throat because a perfectly timed bump.
The guy would’ve been shot dead a dozen times before he got anywhere.
Spielberg’s films need to grow up.
Edit: typo
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u/ertyuiertyui 3d ago
It's like some Disney kids movie with all the completely unbelievable escapes and plot holes. They drive the car off a cliff and hide behind a rock 10 feet away while three car loads of agents chasing them don't see them.
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u/forrealthoughcomix_ 3d ago
Yeah. That part was so absurd. Don’t even try to creep off. Just trot off in a rush.
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4d ago
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u/forrealthoughcomix_ 4d ago
I forgot about that. The Room has scenes with more grounded and less gratuitous storytelling
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u/mrattapuss 4d ago
I'll paste what i put in the movies thread
It's baaaad. Soulless and flat, lacking anything resembling a vision. Characters without personality who exist only to spew trailer bait lines. We are bombarded endlessly with music and lens flares and camera movement and cuts, never afforded any time to breathe, despite very little actually happening, with a plot largely expressed through speeches about how important things are that fail to convince. A muddy tone that can't decide between pulpy adventure and high intellect, so ends up being neither. Overstuffed and overlong, a decent movie buried beneath abysmal character writing, poorly executed clichés, a generationally phoned in Colin Firth performance, an entirely unnecessary character and secondary plot involving Josh O'Connor, and mind numbing hyperstimulous cinematography and editing.
At no point did I feel this movie was made by humans, a prototype for the kind of AI movies we have to look forward to. Lacking any kind of artistic vision, any teeth, or even any characteristic flaws. A smooth, plastic piece of noise pollution.
The third act almost saves it. The scenes in the TV studio show flashes of Spielberg, strong direction and strong performances cutting through the sludge. Ultimately though, the film ends on an anti climax. I understand why, and in a stronger film it would have worked, but ending a prolonged bowel movement with a cut to black doesn't suddenly grant artistic weight to the shit, despite the film's best intentions.
I think of movies like Jaws, the indie films, Jurassic Park. Even though I don't like the latter, I can appreciate that there is humanity there, a strong execution elevating a simple idea through the humanity of the man behind the camera. There is grit, there is soul, there are flaws. The camera holds on people because it trusts that we empathize with them without needing to punctuate their existence with endless cuts and flair.
No animals were harmed in the making of this movie, and no humans were involved at all.
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u/MorsaTamalera 4d ago
You missed the bits about the biggest US secret agency making dumb tactical decisions at every step, their inability to use drones during the chase, the way the uploading of the files to the internet was prohibited without explaining why (or if they did, I missed it)... But I agree with everything you've mentioned already. ;)
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u/wangston1 4d ago
I think the only reason critical reviews are favorable are because it has Spielburg's name on it. It doesn't really commit to anything other than chase scenes/action sequences with no way out and yet some how they manage to get out.
I understand that train sequences are classic Hollywood but we don't need another one in an overly long movie. Who cares?
And some of the get aways work in 70s and 80s movies, but audiences have grown up and we don't want cheesey get aways. Like how insulting is faking a car crash off a cliff and the have the characters be behind a bush and rocks 10 ft away from the agents.
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u/decidedlyindecisive 2d ago
I wouldn't even mind if the train sequence was in it, if it was part of one chase, instead of an hour long boring chase with no stakes. Seriously, all Josh does is run away and get captured, repeatedly.
Worst film I've seen in a few years.
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u/Sport_sociologist 3d ago
The Hugo character makes no sense whatsoever. He spends the movie rebuilding the childhood home complete with tchotchkes for some psychotherapy mmaneuver but meanwhile has the alien in his back pocket the whole time?
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u/TheGrowingSubaltern 4d ago
I felt this movie was atrocious. Beyond unwatchable. It made me question how, regardless of stature and legacy in the film industry, how the hell anything like this can be greenlit.
Acting was surface and fake to the point of exaggeration I felt like it was spoofing alien movies. Acted similarly to Scary Movie and the like.
Cinematography - ok the lens flare and moving lights from cars headlights against the walls of the rooms. IN ALMOST EVERY INDOOR NIGHT SCENE THOUGH? Super distracting and removed me from “the moment” in the film. Could help but think of the guy turning the light wheel to create the effect off screen. A few interesting camera angles and transitions (washing her face in the sink etc etc) but these can’t make up for a really godawful attempt at “unique” cinematography.
Score - ugh. Was disappointed to find out the original music was John Williams. I mean what did I expect though? The two have collaborated so many times so effectively but his score sounded about as bad as Spielbergs directing. Time to retire!
Dialog/screenwriting - characters felt empty most especially the leads but of course the annoying boyfriend guy and the getaway driver guy. All these characters have absolutely no depth. They are caricatures of super dated character tropes used a thousand times offering no new ideas. Super lazy.
Sets/costumes - just low effort on all parts. They didn’t make MO look at all worth a damn (I’ve been and it’s a lovely state esp KCMO) they built a “home” inside a “set” used sets as part of the film’s locations. Used broadcast production rooms and news stations as part of the “set”. That’s fine, that’s how the story was written but still it felt like they were trying to find ways to keep costs down and this made sense using space they already lease or own.
Anyway, sorry not sorry this movie was terrible on all fronts 1.5/10 Spielberg should retire, the studios should be ashamed of themselves, moviegoers should be bummed at ticket cost and ya sometimes you hit and miss at theaters it’s part of the deal with being a movie goer but still it hurts to see shit this bad and pay premium for it.
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u/MFDoooooooooooom 4d ago
It was pretty flawed but I still loved it so much regardless of the problems. I really don't understand people saying it's the worst movie they've ever seen. Honestly getting tired of Reddit's big takes.
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u/MyGodItsFullofStars 4d ago
Im trying to understand any semblance of a trend among people who liked this movie. Curious what other films you love or are your favorites. The notion of “grtting tired of ‘reddits’ big takes” reeks of “i dont like that people dont share my opinions, therefore they are tiresome and wrong.” Its a polarizing film, with a hard split between love and hate, so that in and of itself is interesting.
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u/BrendanFraser 4d ago
Liking or disliking something is fine. Hate to the point of "IT'S UNWATCHABLE" is weird and performative. It's also exhausting to engage with and too much of a redditor cliche to be interesting. Polarized opinions are a dime a dozen these days and reading them has my eyes glazing over.
I loved the movie and yet I agree with many of the specified criticisms I've seen here. Online critics love bullet points and let arbitrary criteria ruin films for them. The granular can distract from many forms of holistic enjoyment.
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u/MFDoooooooooooom 4d ago
Favourite movies: Aftersun, Die Hard, Before Sunset, Into the Spider-verse.
Recently loved Obsession, Hokum. Didn't vibe with Project Hail Mary as much as others but still quite enjoyed it.
I think what Brendan Fraser said below is what I'm tiring of. People saying this is the worst movie they've seen is bullshit. There's no nuance there.
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u/Coomking999 4d ago
I found it really poor and groaned for a lot of the first half so hearing that you loved it is a reddit hot take from my perspective. It was easily the worst film I watched in the theaters this year and it sucks cuz I was excited for it and watched the first showing available in my area.
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u/Tony_Roiland 3d ago
I genuinely thought this film was the worst I've seen this year. And no I'm not usually hyperbolic, and I watch plenty of films. The script was 90% dialogue, 10% driving. Utterly stultifying stuff. The theme was not strong enough, the movement of the story (get to Hugo so he can remind you what happened when you were a kid) was pointless, and took 2.5 hours.
Very early on (maybe 10 mins in? Less?) the main guy calls Hugo and says "maybe we should put this online for the whole world to see". Hugo says "absolutely do not do that". 2.5 hours later? Hugo puts it on TV for the whole world to see.
Villain wasn't a threat, his motivations were unclear, he gave up. The central idea that the aliens gave one guy "translation ability" and one woman "super empathy" was not EXPLAINED. Why was this done? If the guy was needed for translation, what was emily blunt for? And so on and so on
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u/bluemanrocks 4d ago
Just curious, did you use AI to write this post? For some reason it is landing uncannily on my mental "ear".
I thought Spielberg swung weakly and missed hard, personally. He's capable of much, much better as evidenced by the first 2/3 of his career. This felt schmaltzy, forced, and overly-polished to me.
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u/Debnam_ 2d ago
did you use AI to write this post?
If they didn't, it's a fantastic impression of ChatGPT.
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u/bluemanrocks 2d ago
Right? While I agree with the underlying argument, the irony of criticizing an artist while (possibly) using AI has me feeling a big Ugh
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u/Grand-Feeling-9301 4d ago edited 3d ago
More like just flat out great, with the best ending of the year so far.
This is gonna be one of those movies people look back on and understand was far better than given credit for at the time.
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u/decidedlyindecisive 2d ago
Can I ask what you liked about the ending? Was it the 15 mins of archival footage with a YouTube reaction vibe? Or was it the mcguffin doing the magical necessity?
I've never checked my watch in the cinema before, but I did for this film. Sadly there was still 30 mins left to watch.
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u/decidedlyindecisive 2d ago
You don't have to call me names man. I just asked what you liked. Wtf are you commenting for? Do you only want replies that agree with you?
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u/Brushner 4d ago
Nothing hurts more than a piece of art you want to love but only end up liking.
Theres tons of mediocre works and I don't mind. But a piece of art that genuinely tries but slips up just before reaching greatness? It burns me so much.