Disclosure Day is upon us, but after that ambiguous conclusion, you probably have questions, which is where our Disclosure Day ending explained comes in.
The latest film from Steven Spielberg, Disclosure Day is the legendary director's first original sci-fi blockbuster in 25 years. It stars Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor as strangers on the run from a dangerous organization who want to keep the existence of non-human lifeforms under wraps. Disclosure Day is one of this year's most exciting movie releases, and not to be missed!
Below, we've broken down the Disclosure Day ending explained, so you can unpick the movie's many mysteries. Naturally, that means there are major spoilers ahead. So turn back now if you haven't seen the new movie yet, and read our Disclosure Day review instead! If you're up to date, then full disclosure lies ahead…
Disclosure Day ending recap
After learning the truth about what happened to them on February 23, 1996 – that they were visited by aliens and "imbued" with gifts – Daniel and Margaret finally understand the nature of their inhuman connection. Before they can celebrate, Noah and WRDEX surround the warehouse where Hugo has rebuilt Margaret's childhood home. Margaret helps everyone escape by turning them all invisible using the alien device, allowing them to flee in fire trucks. The device is burnt out, however, and crumbles into dust.
Arriving at the KCXE news studio, Hugo heads to the loading dock, Daniel uploads the archive of footage to the control room, and Margaret gets ready to deliver a 'special report' to the world. But WRDEX are right behind them, and disable the power station and the backup generator, completely cutting power to the studio. In the nick of time, Jane arrives with the alien device Daniel swiped before the events of the movie and hands it to Margaret, who uses it to power the TV studio back up.
For reasons that aren't made explicit, Noah gives up the chase and literally pulls up a chair. It seems he's finally realized that Hugo was right all along – the world deserves to know the truth. Margaret starts to deliver her special report, disclosing the fact that the US government has known about the existence of non-human lifeforms going back to the 1947 Roswell crash, and that WRDEX has spearheaded the coverup and advanced interrogation of aliens for decades.
Archival video footage rapidly spreads to news stations around the world via the NBC control center in 30 Rock. A news anchor (played by Courtney Grace) tries to contexutalize the footage, but is emotionally overwhelmed by what she's seeing. In the footage there is extraordinary craft in flight, the charred bodies of dead aliens, and very much alive aliens being escorted into a tent by the US military. The Kecksburg, Pennsylvania incident in 1965 is also confirmed to be a real UFO crash.
As the world watches, frozen and staring at smartphones and TVs, a white truck arrives in the loading bay. Someone, or something, is pushed into the studio in a wheelchair under cover. As Hugo peels back the layers, an alien is revealed. This, presumably, is In Vivo 17, the previously imprisoned non-human lifeform that Hugo secretly released 5 years before the events of the film, and has been working with ever since. In Vivo 17 is much larger, and more infirm, than every other alien glimpsed in the film to date.
Margaret and Daniel approach the alien together, and embrace. The alien whispers something we cannot hear in Daniel's ear, in an 8-bit binary language only he can understand. Daniel smiles, and translates for Margaret. Margaret immediately returns to the anchor desk, ready to deliver a message from the stars. "Listen," she says, before the film cuts to credits, the nature of the message forever left a mystery.
What does the alien whisper in Daniel Kellner's ear at the end of Disclosure Day?
The answer is that, like the alien themselves, this is unknowable. The movie keeps In Vivo 17's 'words' to Kellner secret for a reason – it's supposed to be up to interpretation. It's like Lost in Translation all over again, only this time Bill Murray is a 7ft-tall alien. However, Disclosure Day does leave some major breadcrumbs that narrow down a likely sentiment.
Throughout Disclosure Day, news reports and chaos at the forecourt reveal that the world is on the brink of armageddon due to hostile military action in North Korea and Europe. The words 'World War 3' are uttered more than once. During Hugo's conversation with Noah, we also learn a lot about the aliens' benign motivations – they see empathy as the "foremost evolutionary advantage," the rejection of which will lead to "extinction."
The aliens are evidently concerned they'll cause a mass panic by revealing themselves, and who can blame them given how WRDEX and previous administrations have treated the aliens over the years. Margaret's involuntary message, delivered during her weather report at the beginning of the film, supports this: "Don't be afraid of what you don't know," according to Daniel.
As a result, our best guess is that In Vivo 17 gives Daniel a message of peace that will potentially prevent the cataclysmic course of history currently unfolding. One person who does know exactly what the alien tells Daniel is actor Josh O'Connor. When GamesRadar+ put the question of whether he knows what is whispered to Daniel directly to the star, O'Connor replied: "Yes… But I'm not going to share it." So there you have it.
Why did the aliens pick Margaret and Daniel in Disclosure Day?
This is left ambiguous as well. Why, of the 5.8 billion people alive on February 23, 1996, did the aliens choose Margaret and Daniel to imbue with their gifts? And why did they play such a long game with the pair? The logical answer would be that Margaret and Daniel weren't the only ones to have had close encounters. But Hugo notes early in the film that "There's always been just the two of you," implying Margaret and Daniel are the only ones. Or the only ones crucial to disclosure, at least.
It's clear, however, that Hugo's interactions with In Vivo 17 have also given him knowledge beyond human capability, including the ability to recreate Margaret's childhood home down to the posters on the walls. In Vivo 17 also told Hugo to recruit Daniel straight out of prison eight years prior to the events of the film, three years before Hugo breaks the alien out of WRDEX captivity, meaning In Vivo 17 wanted to keep Daniel close for this very moment.
Why does Hugo rebuild Margaret's childhood home in Disclosure Day?
This is explained explicitly: Margaret's home is a "passage" to return Margaret to the experience Daniel and Margaret shared as children – a way to unlock the repressed memory, in other words, so she won't be a "passenger" anymore, putting her in full control of her gifts. Unlike Daniel, who's been cursed by his ability to see completed mathematical equations since he was in college, Margaret's abilities have been locked away for most of her life and only manifest after a red cardinal visits her one morning. As we know, the aliens present as animals to calm us, so was that an alien climbing through the window of Margaret and Jackson's trendy Kansas attic?
What is an experiencer in Disclosure Day?
This is never explained in as many words, but what's clear is that it's not possible to 'dive' into experiencers using the alien device. Doing so causes a 'whiteout,' when Noah tries this on Daniel, and for the air to be snatched from Noah's lungs. The name is likely self-explanatory: 'experiencers' are people who have had experiences with non-human lifeforms, like Daniel, Margaret and Hugo, that we know of.
Does Disclosure Day reveal the real-life existence of aliens?
Sadly not, truthers. While Disclosure Day is very much set in a world resembling our own, rumors that Spielberg was working with the deep state to reveal the existence of aliens through the movie prove unfounded. However, the movie does depict recreations from a number of supposed alien crash sites (most notably, Roswell), and features archive footage that closely resembles recently disclosed videos of UAPs in its news broadcast sequence. Clearly, such footage was a clear reference point for the movie.
Is there a Disclosure Day post-credits scene?
No, Disclosure Day does not have a post-credits scene. You do get to hear John Williams' exquisite score build to a moving crescendo throughout the credits though, so stick around for that at least.
Will there be a Disclosure Day 2?
Nothing's certain, but we'd say it's highly unlikely there will ever be a sequel to Disclosure Day. After all, the existence of aliens has been disclosed; what story is there left to tell?
Disclosure Day is out now in UK cinemas, and releases on June 12 in US theaters. For more, check out our list of upcoming movies releasing throughout the year.
