Back in the 1990s, on the X-Files, the tagline was, “I Want to Believe.” I’d assume that concept resonates with Steven Spielberg. Dating back to his early work in the 1970s, extra-terrestrials have been a part of his cinematic landscape.

One of his earliest hits, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, featured a man coming face-to-face with beings from another planet. He followed in the 1980s with ET, and later with a new version of War of the Worlds. This summer, he’s again returning to visitors from outer space with Disclosure Day. And it’s a vision of the subject and the world that is among his best films.

We begin with Daniel (Josh O’Connor), who works for a secret organization that works with the Department of Defense to keep the biggest secret in the world. But Daniel no longer feels comfortable being part of that system. So, he’s taken evidence he wants to share with the world. But his former employers, led by Mr. Scanlon (Colin Firth), want that evidence back, and they’ve threatened his girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson), as a means of getting it back.

That forces Daniel and Jane to go on the run. Jane has her own struggles with faith and the world, and being thrust into a secret she couldn’t imagine. And Daniel’s working in tandem with Hugo (Coleman Domingo), a former co-worker who introduced Daniel to the plan for rebellion.

Into that mix comes Margaret (Emily Blunt). She’s living with her boyfriend (Wyatt Russell) in Kansas City, working as a weather woman, when an on-air meltdown leads to a discovery. Margaret has a connection to these other worldly beings, and to Daniel. And she’s drawn to both as everyone makes their way toward an end game.

This is a heady topic. It’s similar in themes and concept to films that Spielberg has done in the past on the subject, but it takes things in a different, more ground direction. The script, from David Koepp and Spielberg lays out an engaging story that quickly builds the world and the characters. It drops you into the middle of the action and takes you on a ride.

This has a lot of familiar Spielberg touches. There are moments of childlike wonder and beauty. There are moments of humor. And there is plenty of pathos and tension. It explores the state of the world, the nature of governments and secrecy, and even the implications for religion. I found these explorations compelling, not only driving the plot forward but creating emotional engagement.

I appreciated the cast, too. O’Connor, Firth, and Domingo are all great in their roles. But it’s the ladies—Hewson and Blunt—that resonated the most. I deeply appreciated the journey for Hewson’s Jane, and her grappling with what it means for her faith. It was an engaging and well-handled plot point.

But the star here is Blunt. She has to carry a lot of the trickiest portions of the film, and she does it beautifully. She gives a compelling and engaging performance throughout. You can’t take your eyes of Margaret, the focal point of much of the narrative.

Disclosure Day is one of the biggest releases of the summer. It has big ambitions and a big pedigree. And it delivers. It’s a stirring and engaging journey that’s worth seeing on the biggest of screens. It’s the best release of the year so far, and one of the best of Spielberg’s storied career.

Disclosure Day is now playing nationwide.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.