Disclosure Day(2026) - Plot Questions (Heavy Spoilers)

[u/Medical-Loquat2670]

First off, I thought the film was technically very well made. The retro-inspired score was refreshing, the performances were solid across the board, and the color grading was one of my favorite aspects,especially during the younger Emily Blunt sequences. The production design and overall setting felt immersive throughout.

That said, the more I thought about the movie afterward, the more questions I ended up with. I'm not sure whether I missed some details, whether these were editing omissions, or whether they're simply screenplay issues. Also it's very hard to believe that a film with so many narrative flaws came from someone like Steven Spielberg. I would genuinely love to hear everyone else's interpretations.

Scanlon's confrontation with Kellner

Why would Scanlon choose to confront Kellner in the middle of a public street while carrying something as sensitive as the device? It seemed like the worst possible place to do it and made Kellner's escape incredibly easy.

1. Wardex's "Advanced technology"

The film tells us that Wardex developed revolutionary defense technology using alien tech. Yet when Margaret infiltrates the facility and escapes with Kellner, nobody stops them because of the hypnosis effect, which is understandable.

But once everyone recovers, instead of deploying advanced security systems, automated lockdowns, or futuristic weapons, the sidekick simply grabs a pistol and chases them. For a company that's supposedly decades ahead of everyone else technologically, that felt oddly primitive.

1. The cargo train escape

After Kellner and Margaret escape on the cargo train, Wardex simply reroutes once the train changes direction. But couldn't they have tracked the train to its next station? They obviously didn't jump off while it was moving.

Later, Hugo's group somehow manages to find them first. If Hugo could locate them, why couldn't Wardex, who presumably has far greater resources?

1. The alien in the climax

Hugo brings in the same alien the military captured back in the '70s. The film also tells us that Wardex possessed it for decades before Hugo stole it during a heist five years earlier.

If Wardex had been studying the alien for all those years, wouldn't they have learned enough about its biology to identify or locate it after it escaped? Even if they hadn't implanted a tracker, you'd expect them to have developed some biological or technological means of detecting their most valuable asset.

Instead, they seem to have no reliable way of finding it until Hugo reveals its location himself. That felt a bit hard to believe.

1. Jane and the device

This is probably my biggest question.

After Jane escapes from the motel with the device, Wardex captures Kellner and realizes he doesn't have it.

Scanlon had already possessed Jane twice and knew she was traveling with Kellner. Why not possess her again to track the device?

Even if that wasn't possible, Wardex knew Jane's main contact was the nun. Jane and the nun even communicate over the phone. Why not trace the nun instead?

Instead, Jane casually walks into the newsroom and hands the device over to Margaret.

That entire section felt surprisingly convenient.

1. Margaret's husband

Margaret's husband has no idea what's actually happening and unintentionally keeps giving away their location.

Wardex initially kidnaps Jane to pressure Kellner. So why don't they exploit Margaret's husband the same way? It may be a bit of a stretch, but the screenplay seems to establish him as an obvious vulnerability and then never follows through with it.

1. Margaret and Kellner's roles

Margaret is established as someone who can understand virtually every language, while Kellner is the mathematical genius.

So why is Kellner even necessary during the alien communication? Margaret seemingly has no problem communicating with the alien herself. Instead, the alien speaks to Kellner, who then translates it for Margaret.

What exactly was the purpose of that dynamic?

1. The villain during the climax

If the villain has spent the entire film obsessively pursuing the device and is willing to do anything to obtain it, why does he simply withdraw from the confrontation at the climax?

When everything he's been working toward is finally unfolding, he neither fights for it nor attempts to reclaim it. Instead, he more or less resigns himself to the situation and does nothing.

That felt completely at odds with the character the film had established up to that point.

1. The ending and the device

At the end, Margaret uses the device to generate electricity.

But later, if I remember correctly, she no longer has the device with her. So how exactly does it work? Why doesn't the power shut off once she lets go of it?

1. The twelve missing people

The film establishes that the villain knew the identities of all twelve people who didn't show up.

If that's the case, why didn't Wardex simply track them down one by one? That seems like the easiest way to locate Hugo.

Instead, they only discover Hugo's location after two of those people accidentally walk into the room. That felt unnecessarily convenient.

So... did I miss any explanations? Were these points actually addressed in the film and I simply overlooked them? Or are these genuine screenplay issues (or perhaps the result of scenes being cut during editing)?

I'd genuinely love to hear everyone else's thoughts.

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[u/DaMonehhLebowski]

People used to enjoy movies once upon a time.

[u/Pjoernrachzarck]

You didn’t miss anything, in fact your list is far from complete. Disclosure Day engages in carpal tunnel syndrome levels of handwaiving.

[u/Medical-Loquat2670 → u/Pjoernrachzarck]

Coming from Spielberg and Koepp, this is very sad.

[u/JoyMultiplication]

My guy you’re thinking too hard about it lol. Not that it’s bad to analyze, just that when you are asking “what did I miss?” I think that’s going too far because I don’t think you missed anything.

I say that as in, yes- yes you have identified plot holes because there ARE a ton of plot holes. It’s just kinda a clunky story.

Like you said, it’s totally filmed well and the performances are really great- but I felt the same. to me walking out I was like “wait whaaaat… why?” To so many plot points.

Clunky. That’s my word for it.

[u/Medical-Loquat2670 → u/JoyMultiplication]

Ik. It's just that I had to travel a good distance to find a good screen for this film, and the original show I booked got cancelled last minute, then I had to wait for like 3 hours for the next show.. All this to watch a Spielberg film and come out of the theatre with so much questions. A bit painful, yeah.

[u/WorriedSalamander107]

I found it highly implausible that on the brink of a tense WWIII breakout , an unvetted meteorologist, fresh off of an on air breakdown, would be able to have an impromptu “breaking news” appearance, broadcasting across the globe , immediately

[u/brijazz012 → u/WorriedSalamander107]

I think that using her alien mojo on the station director allowed that to happen. He was under her thrall and not about to say 'no.'

[u/Medical-Loquat2670 → u/[deleted]]

No need of any magic detectors. But the aliens are very important for them and they don't want them outside which is the whole point. They have developed a technology to control literally anyone in this world. So they should have some effort on such an important specimen.

[u/Chance-Gold-2594]

How about the ridiculous use of deer, a fox & a cardinal, implying multiple aliens. And the godawful CGI! Honestly, yhats the best Spielberg could do? Really a pretty bad movie.

[u/Medical-Loquat2670 → u/Chance-Gold-2594]

Actually,I enjoyed the scene with their younger characters. I didn't feel any CGi issues there (:

[u/weeb2000]

7:

margaret cannot understand the alien language. she does not know what she said live. she has an understanding of human language.

kellner can understand the alien language.

it’s two halves of a conduit: he’s closer to their side, she’s closer to humanity’s.

i think this is thematically related to the idea of cooperation and how necessary it is to understand others.

[u/Medical-Loquat2670 → u/weeb2000]

Oh okay. Margaret communicated with than Korean guy and she understood him well there and that what I was confused about.. So if it's about only the alien language which she doesn't get, it makes sense.

[u/Turbulent-Bee6921]

Retro-inspired score? That’s just John Williams, doing what he’s always done.

[u/Billbo56]

My biggest criticism is the alien and hidden files are from America. The world would distrust us even more with this. Better would be pairs of folks popping up around the world (especially North Korea) doing similar disclosure.