Though most of today’s college students weren’t alive yet when Steven Spielberg’s most iconic films were released, it is no longer necessary to wonder what it would have been like to witness the debut of “Jaws” (1975), “E.T. the Extraterrestrial” (1982) or “Jurassic Park” (1993). Spielberg’s newest film, “Disclosure Day,” is an astonishing installment in the summer blockbuster season and a great film in its own right.

“Disclosure Day” hinges entirely on unbelievable information about alien life — both how it is given, and how it is withheld. The film follows a furious race between two teams: one wants to reveal a shocking truth about extraterrestrial life, and the other seeks to hide that truth. In order for the screenplay to function properly, it must constantly withhold information from the audience. This might frustrate some viewers, but as the mystery builds, it will only bring audience members closer to the edges of their seats.

From the film’s opening scene at a wrestling match to inventive showcases of the supernatural, at a spry 79 years old, Spielberg is still an expert at crafting a spectacle. The movie truly feels like a blockbuster built for theaters with its share of expensive-looking shots, like an ominous projection of countless computer monitors and a blinding portrait of a young girl walking into a mysterious house.

Spielberg knows his canvas is gigantic, and he uses it properly, often pulling the camera back to show the entire landscape, even if it’s just a news station building. For viewers who watched “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” a few weeks ago and felt like they were just watching a TV show fit to widescreen, then “Disclosure Day” offers the perfect remedy.

Even the way he portrays fantastical powers feels genuinely original — a rare feat in a film landscape dominated by fantasy. The characters don’t just punch each other to make things happen; they use a magical alien glowstick to, for example, cause dozens of goons to crash into thin air.

The movie’s set and cinematography feel fresh and exciting, but the themes the film explores and its story beats are very familiar. Spielberg’s feelings on religion, love, truth and, of course, aliens, are all over “Disclosure Day.”

While many of the ideas are carefully remixed, some feel like leftovers from the 1980s, or like concepts Spielberg has already done better. For example, Spielberg’s previous project, “The Fabelmans” (2022), has a more nuanced depiction of religion and belief. David Koepp’s script for “Disclosure Day” reverts back to more stale, generic ideas of faith.

The spectacle could have also felt a bit too generic, but Spielberg has employed an easy fix to this: working with John Williams as his composer for the 30th time, reigniting the same collaboration that brought about scores for “Jurassic Park” and “Jaws,” among many others. Williams is 94 years old, but he’s still one of the best in the business. The sweeping, brooding orchestra pumping through every scene conveys the importance behind what might otherwise be seen as an ordinary scene.

The movie’s vast mystery would also risk collapsing in on itself without true support from its trio of leads. Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) and Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo) prove themselves more than up to the task.

Blunt’s character requires the most heavy lifting, as her character flips between two very different personalities, but it is O’Connor who guides the audience carefully through the entire movie. Much like his turn in “Wake Up Dead Man” (2025), his passionate performance propels the rest of the ensemble along with him.

Domingo’s character doesn’t have quite as much to do, but he is wonderful regardless. It takes him nearly the entire movie to meet Blunt and O’Connor, but when he does, he pushes them to their limits in an emotional sequence that reduces the theater to gasps.

The rest of the supporting cast excels, too. Eve Hewson is perfectly cast as O’Connor’s girlfriend, who acts as the film’s emotional, grounded heart in a story filled with spectacle. Colin Firth is also great as the film’s villain. His conversations with Hewson and Domingo are, respectively, two of the most thrilling scenes of the film, especially because they’re powered by a strange supernatural object that hurts both him and his conversation partners.

Still, the script’s attempt to make him sympathetic embarrasses the audience a bit with its obviousness, trying to humanize a despicable corporate stalker by explaining that he used to have a wife. This last-minute sympathy play is one of the script’s worst offenses, but one could also argue that the ultimate answers to the movie’s questions are a bit too literal, possibly even easy to guess.

The meaning behind these answers, as well as how the wider world reacts to them, seems to be what Spielberg is more interested in. Spielberg thinks he knows how humanity would react if — or when — the world is handed life-changing information about the universe, and his prediction is very compelling.

However, for anyone who doesn’t care about camera movements, existential themes or the modern movie landscape, seeing “Disclosure Day” is still a very good idea. It’s a rollercoaster ride reminiscent of the glory days, where everything Steven Spielberg touched became the biggest movie in the world, and his newest movie is more than worthy of standing right alongside them.