Why Disclosure Day's ending falls short compared to Close Encounters of the Third Kind's masterful payoff
By
Brian VanHooker
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Summary
This article compares the endings of the 2024 film "Disclosure Day" and Steven Spielberg's 1977 classic "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." The author argues that while Disclosure Day has a satisfactory ending, it lacks the emotional and narrative payoff that Spielberg masterfully achieved in Close Encounters. The analysis focuses on how Spielberg's ending builds tension and delivers a transcendent, cathartic resolution, whereas Disclosure Day's conclusion feels more conventional and less impactful by comparison.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledSpielberg understood that the best endings don't just resolve the plot — they elevate the entire experience into something transcendent.
Disclosure Day's ending is perfectly fine, but 'fine' isn't what we remember decades later.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind remains the gold standard for how to stick the landing in a science fiction film.
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