Disclosure Day's ending satisfies but doesn't soar like Close Encounters

Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day invites comparison with his earlier films about extraterrestrials. It holds up in many ways: like War of the Worlds it's a high-stakes chase, and some animal scenes echo E.T.'s sense of wonder. The closest touchpoint is Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which highlights Disclosure Day's strengths and one major shortcoming — the ending.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the ending of Disclosure Day. Disclosure Day follows cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) as he flees with stolen proof of aliens and a conspiracy to hide them, racing to reveal the truth to the public. Close Encounters tracks utility lineman Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), whose UFO sighting spirals into an obsession that leads him to seek contact.

Both films are structured around the payoff their titles promise, but Close Encounters over-delivers while Disclosure Day delivers only satisfactorily.

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