Steven Spielberg didn’t simply make another science-fiction movie. With “Disclosure Day,” the legendary filmmaker returns to the subject that has fascinated him throughout much of his career, but this time in a way that feels less like cinematic fantasy and more like an exploration of decades of conversations surrounding UFOs, UAPs, Roswell, and the possibility that humanity may not fully understand its place in the universe. I had the opportunity to see the film last week during a special premiere event for social media creators and content creators at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. What struck me was not only the film itself, but also the conversations that followed.
Talking with many of the younger attendees after the screening—social media creators, YouTubers, TikTok personalities and digital storytellers—I quickly realized that many knew little, or almost nothing, about the stories and theories that have shaped America’s UFO mythology for decades.
Roswell, whistleblower accounts, alleged crash-retrieval programs, and even the enduring legend involving President Richard Nixon and Jackie Gleason were largely unfamiliar territory to the majority of them. What surprised me most was not how many questions people had after the film, but how unfamiliar many were with the real-world stories that helped inspire it.
Judging from the conversations that followed, many younger attendees appeared to be discovering some of these decades-old UFO narratives for the very first time. For a generation raised on TikTok, YouTube and short-form content, names like Roswell, J. Allen Hynek, Bob Lazar, or even the Nixon-Jackie Gleason story no longer carry the cultural familiarity they once did.
And yet those very narratives form the foundation upon which Spielberg builds “Disclosure Day.” One of the most enduring legends in UFO lore involves President Richard Nixon and Jackie Gleason, the beloved television icon of the 1950s and 1960s who was famously obsessed with UFOs and extraterrestrial life. According to the story, Nixon allegedly granted his close friend a unique request and personally drove him to Homestead Air Force Base in Florida in February 1973, disappearing from public view for several hours.
As later recounted by Gleason’s then-wife, Beverly McKittrick, the entertainer supposedly witnessed preserved bodies of non-human biological entities stored inside secured facilities. He reportedly returned home deeply shaken and emotionally distressed by what he believed he had seen.
The story has never been proven. Yet it remains one of the most enduring and widely discussed narratives in UFO history—and it plays a surprisingly early role in Spielberg’s new film. That is precisely what makes “Disclosure Day” so fascinating.
Rather than treating these legends as simple conspiracy theories or easy science-fiction material, Spielberg uses them as cultural mythology. They become pieces of a larger narrative that exists somewhere between reality, speculation, belief, and collective memory.
Spielberg has repeatedly suggested that “Disclosure Day” may be the most “realistic” film he has ever directed, inspired in part by the landmark 2017 New York Times investigation that revealed the existence of a previously undisclosed Pentagon program studying unidentified aerial phenomena, helping push the UFO conversation from the fringes into mainstream public discourse.
And that perspective is evident in virtually every scene.
The film is not interested in dazzling audiences with alien invasions, giant spacecraft, or excessive visual effects. Instead, it slowly builds an atmosphere of uncertainty and anticipation. What would happen if humanity woke up tomorrow and was confronted with undeniable evidence that we are not alone?
Would the world feel relief? Excitement? Or fear?
That is the idea at the heart of the film.
What I found most compelling, however, is that “Disclosure Day” operates on two distinct levels. For moviegoers simply looking for a gripping cinematic thriller, the film delivers mystery, suspense, action and genuine emotional impact.
But for viewers familiar with Roswell, Bob Lazar, congressional testimony, UFO investigations, the Nixon-Gleason story and the broader Disclosure movement, the experience takes on an entirely different dimension. Nearly every scene seems to engage in a conversation with decades of theories, investigations, controversies and unanswered questions.
That is why I would recommend spending at least a little time reading about these subjects before seeing the film. There is also another historical connection that makes “Disclosure Day” particularly intriguing…
When the credits finally roll, the question that remains is the same one humanity has been asking for centuries:
Are we truly alone in the universe?
George Sats is a Los Angeles-based entertainment journalist, television host and producer. The creator and host of “Buzz,” one of Greece’s longest-running entertainment television programs, he is also the former Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment Weekly Greece and a contributor to Harper’s Bazaar Greece, Esquire Greece and the Beverly Hills Courier. As Greece’s official Oscars broadcaster, he has covered the entertainment industry’s most prestigious events, including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards. He is also a member of the Golden Globe Awards voting body. Throughout his career, George has interviewed most of Hollywood’s leading actors, filmmakers and industry figures while reporting from major red carpets, film festivals and international entertainment events. He previously hosted MTV Greece’s Movies & Stars.
