"If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?" That's the simple question that spurred Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day into existence. It's the famed filmmaker's newest foray into extraterrestrial life, a subject he's explored from countless angles throughout his filmography, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and War of the Worlds. What separates and binds these films is the reflection of their time periods, be it the sense of American optimism as Elliott flies across the sky on his bike, or the post-9/11 fear of invasion as Tom Cruise protects his family from H.G. Wells' tripod monsters. With Disclosure Day, Spielberg inverts the battle, probing the possibility of cohabitation in a world so steeped in division.

Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) believes that all eight billion people on the planet deserve to know the truth about our place in the universe. It's why he's stolen eighty years' worth of secrets as part of a coordinated whistleblowing mission on his employer Wardex. This shadowy private military group works outside the government to maintain the greatest cover-up story in human history. Opening at a WWE match with the sound cranked to eleven, Kellner's cover has been blown, and Wardex head Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) is on his tail.

Over in Kansas City, local meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) begins her day by witnessing a cardinal fly into her apartment. Her and the bird's eyes meet, which seemingly unlocks something within her. She now knows everything, such as languages she's never spoken and facts about people she couldn't possibly know. The sudden interest of government agents in her condition plunges her deep into this conspiracy, with mysterious premonitions guiding her towards Daniel.

The chase is on for both sides, with Spielberg and his longtime crew capturing the results with an electrifying rhythm. Janusz Kaminski's camera swirls from one expertly blocked frame to the next, many stealthily combined in a single take. It simultaneously looks simple and complicated; the mark of a maestro who can compress and translate his genius for the audience. There are never too many notes, and they're always hit right on cue (well, except for a few instances of weird CGI animals).

Every window is bursting with pools of light, as if God is continually making his presence known. Except that an almighty being is no longer up in the heavens, (s)he is down on Earth with us. Mirrors and reflections are repeatedly used for Margaret and Daniel, yet the pair never seems to be sure who's staring back at them. These seemingly ordinary people are learning that they are extraordinary, like a superhero discovering their abilities for the first time. The nimble production requires the leads to constantly be on the ball, with Blunt and O'Connor turning in tremendous performances on both an emotional and physical level.

A former novitiate, Daniel's girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) fears the consequences of what unequivocal proof of extraterrestrial life will do to people's faith. All of religious history dictates that God created us and the universe in his image. What happens once we realize we're not the whole puzzle, but just a tiny piece of it? Added on top of this dilemma is a modern Cuban Missile Crisis between North Korea and Russia. Or, at least it seems like them, as they're given as much specificity as the enemies in Top Gun: Maverick.

A summer blockbuster to be wrestling with ideas this profound is nothing new for Spielberg, who has consistently merged intelligence with popcorn entertainment. You'll also be asking some literal questions afterwards, with the slightly goofy plotting and convenient reveals showing their true face once the movie magic is behind you. But great magicians always know how to keep the audience believing while performing their tricks, and Spielberg has done it again on an enormous scale. Summer movie season is upon us, and it feels great to be in such safe hands.

Universal Pictures will release Disclosure Day in theaters nationwide on June 12th.