‘Disclosure Day’
Directed by Steven Spielberg (PG-13)
★★★
“It’s been a long time since Steven Spielberg directed a film as quintessentially Spielbergian as Disclosure Day,” said David Rooney in The Hollywood Reporter. Like his best work, the beloved filmmaker’s latest alien adventure combines “a propulsive yarn” with human drama, here anchored by “deeply felt” performances from co-stars Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt. O’Connor plays Daniel, a cybersecurity expert on the run after stealing evidence that the U.S. government has been hiding proof of extraterrestrial life for decades. Meanwhile, Blunt’s Margaret, a TV meteorologist, one day develops psychic powers linked to those secrets.
Daniel’s and Margaret’s paths eventually collide in a fantastic speeding-train sequence that proves Spielberg “hasn’t lost the knack,” said William Bibbiani in The Wrap. But while he’s crafted “an incredibly fast-paced summer thrill ride,” the story doesn’t work, largely because in our age of disinformation and complacency, it’s now naive to think that society would be turned upside down if one man announced proof of alien life. “Disclosure Day would have been a great thriller in the heyday of The X-Files, but in the 2020s, it’s out of touch.” If you seek flaws, “there’s much to roll your eyes at,” said David Fear in Rolling Stone, including the story’s “frustratingly arbitrary” twists and a climax that “should feel showstopping but somehow falls flat.” Even so, “this is a Steven Spielberg film,” and he brings “a baseline of love for filmmaking” that adds vitality to every scene. Better yet, his work still emits a simple faith: “that movies still have the power to blow minds and open hearts.”
‘Carolina Caroline’
Directed by Adam Rehmeier (Not rated)
★★★
“Carolina Caroline is a story we’ve seen play out a million times,” said Natalia Keogan in The A.V. Club. It’s a lovers-on-the-lam picture in the vein of Bonnie and Clyde, Badlands, and True Romance, “but there’s a down-to-earth quality here that eludes so many of these other iconic capers, and that’s what sweeps you up.” Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner are “electric” as Caroline, a Texas gas station clerk, and Oliver, the charismatic con artist who whisks her away into a life of crime.
The absence of surprises in the story once they commence their Carolina-bound bank-robbing road trip “isn’t inherently a bad thing,” said Vikram Murthi in IndieWire. “It can be fun to watch talented people play the hits,” including when law enforcement starts closing in on this pair. Weaving imbues Caroline with “just the right amount of cunning that she never comes across as a simple victim” while Gallner lends the dangerous Oliver “a potent romantic streak.” But even the two stars can only do so much with some scenes in the film’s lumpy middle that “feel like going through the motions.” Throughout, though, there’s “legitimate heat and chemistry between the two lead actors,” said Sheila O’Malley in RogerEbert.com, and director Adam Rehmeier gives them space to connect at a soul level. “When Caroline and Oliver kiss, it’s not just hot or sexy. You can feel their relief. Finally, they are not alone in this weird, sad world.”
Two strangers become entangled in an alien cover-up and lovers indulge in a road-trip crime spree
