Steven Spielberg has returned to the realm of sci-fi for his newest spectacular. Disclosure Day stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Wyatt Russell and it explores the reality that aliens have been among us this whole time. Needless to say, its premise has summer blockbuster vibes written all over it, but its approach to its subject matter is a lot deeper than you might think.
See, Disclosure Day doesn't ask the question of whether UFOs are real; it's more focused on cracking open the lid on that truth and letting the public in on the secret. As a result, Margaret Fairchild (Blunt) and Daniel Keller (O'Connor) find themselves in a race against time - and a potentially corrupt government organization - in a bid to disclose the truth to everyone before it's too late.
The question is: Do they accomplish that goal? And just what does the ending of the sci-fi spectacle really mean? Let's dive into that film's ending and explore if the truth really is out there. Be warned, there are SPOILERS for Disclosure Day ahead.
Disclosure Day's haunting ending, explained
Disclosure Day is primarily focused on Margaret and Daniel's attempts to break the truth about extraterrestrial life and the government coverup to everyone. And by "everyone", we mean the eight billion people on the planet. Considering how determined the pair are, it should come as no surprise to you to learn that they accomplish that in the closing moments of the film.
Margaret returns to the place where it all started for her just days earlier: Kansas City news station KCXE. But this time, she isn't their meteorologist; no, this time, she's the one breaking the news. And with that, she and Daniel successfully disclose the existence of alien life (which dates back as far back as the 1974 Roswell incident), the coverup, and the treatment of those aliens at the hands of Wardex to the public. Despite attempts from Noah Scanlon (Firth) and Wardex to stop them - and initial hesitation from the local news stations - that information very quickly trickled out to audiences worldwide.
It turns out that Margaret and Daniel were temporatily abducted by aliens during their childhood and given powers that would eventually activate upon a run-in with a cardinal bird. Although they spent most of the movie unsure of their overall objectives, an enlightening experiment with Hugo Wakefield (Domingo) gave them everything they needed to know. And with that, Margaret was able to show the world the files that Daniel had taken, all while introducing the world to one of the aliens themselves.
The moment has the whole world in a trance, seemingly stopping the incoming World War that was brewing throughout the entire movie. And as everyone watches, the extraterrestrial leans forward and shares a message with Daniel, who then whispers it into Margaret's ear. She then returns to the camera - standing in front of the desk this time - and simply says: "Listen".
So, what does "Listen" mean? Well, it is actually left intentionally open-ended as that word can mean a lot of things. And a time of unrest, it's specifically designed that way so that it can acknowledge multiple schools of thought. First and foremost, it's a message to the people that they should listen to each other - and perhaps that's needed more than ever considering the war that they may have just stopped - but it's also potentially just the first line of Margaret's "listen to what I'm about to say" speech.
Screenwriter David Koepp recently spoke to Den of Geek about that line and discussed the various interpretations of it, saying:
"As I typed and was reaching the end, I knew she was going to face the camera. So I wanted her to say something and I wrote the first word of the line because I thought it represents quite a bit... She’s saying ‘listen,’ because the space boy just told me a bunch of interesting stuff, and she’s saying ‘listen to one another,’ which is the heart of the message."
At a time when people needed to listen to each other, Margaret brought them all together with one word. Now, it's up to them to keep listening; keep listening to the truth she's breaking about the existence of extra-terrestrials, keep listening to each other to prevent greater unrest, and keep listening in general, for we all can find common ground when we listen to each other.
It's a profound message, but it's one that Disclosure Day pulls off extremely well. There isn't any need for a sequel or a spinoff because the whole point of the movie was to disclose this vital information - and the vital message that has come along with it - to the public. Mission accomplished.
Disclosure Day is in theaters now.
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