The new film Disclosure Day features extraterrestrials, characters on the run, and humans with mysterious powers, all of whom are pursued by government agents intent on preventing our heroes from disclosing the truth. What’s interesting is how those story elements can be found in both Steven Spielberg’s previous film and two other science fiction films.
[imbd.com]The first film is one I hold in high regard. Right from its opening scenes, Close Encounters of the Third Kind activates both our sense of fear and our sense of wonder regarding extraterrestrial life. On a technical level, there’s much to praise here. Not only is John Williams’s score top-notch, but I also love how the music and sound serve as a way for humans to communicate with the aliens (the scene where we hear a UFO sighting over an air traffic control broadcast is effective). Of course, the movie knows visual effects, and audio effects alone aren’t enough. Thankfully, we get a compelling character in the form of Richard Dreyfuss’ blue-collar dad, who becomes obsessed with the alien mystery. A different movie would’ve made his wife supportive and his kids adorable, but this man becomes so singularly driven by his visions that he destroys his life and loses his family in pursuit of answers. If there’s a standout scene, it’s the striking climax depicting the mothership’s arrival, which captures a profound sense of scale, wonder, and vibrant light. Decades after its initial release, the film holds up quite well both as drama and as science fiction. ★★★★
[imbd.com]I don’t have children, but another film similar to Disclosure Day was built around a parent’s frantic attempt to keep their child safe. What drew me in was how Midnight Special begins in the middle of its story, with two men on the run with a strange boy. What are these men running from? Why are they being pursued by men with guns? Why must they never look into the mysterious boy’s eyes? I want to say more, but I shouldn’t reveal too much to those who haven’t watched it. That sense of mystery is what makes the film so appealing. The script from director Jeff Nichols gradually rationed information, allowing viewers to piece together the world-altering stakes organically rather than through simple exposition. If my review is too cryptic, rest assured that the resulting film plays like a Southern-fried cross between a road film and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. ★★★1/2
[imbd.com]Imagine John Carpenter’s Starman with a dose of black girl magic, and you get something like Fast Color, an engaging blend of sci-fi, superhero movie, and road picture . Here, we follow the journey of Ruth, a woman with supernatural powers who is pursued by government forces through a dystopic American Midwest. Sure, there are moments when I wanted a quicker pace and a darker tone, but the movie accomplishes what others fail to do, making a science fiction film grounded in accessible familial relationships and that feels like it’s populated with real people. I particularly like the scenes between Ruth, her mother, and her daughter, scenes which are enhanced by, rather than overwhelmed by, some colorful visual effects . ★ ★ ★
