This summer blockbuster season is truly spoiling us with the return of its creator, Steven Spielberg, and his latest film, Disclosure Day. Having already earned $93.9 million (£70.2 million) globally as its opening weekend concludes—comfortably ahead of the projected $65 million (£48.6 million)—it is a healthy start for the film. Produced with a $115 million (£86 million) budget and an $80 million (£59.8 million) marketing spend, it needs around $300 million (£224.5 million) to turn a profit, according to Variety.
Spielberg has assembled a stellar cast including Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colman Domingo, and Colin Firth, and has reunited with musical maestro John Williams for another stirring score. Disclosure Day marks a return to sci-fi and aliens for the director, who made a huge impact with Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (we'll overlook the awkward alien turn in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull).
To celebrate this release, here are my top five movies from his 55-year filmography—and where to watch them in the UK.
5. Schindler's List (1993)
As fan Lukas Miller commented on YouTube: 'I remember my mother warning me against this movie. "It's not that it's a bad film," she said. "It's a masterpiece but the problem is, you can't unsee it."' Starring Liam Neeson, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, it tells the true story of industrialist Oskar Schindler, who saved about 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust by employing them in his factories during World War II. He is no hero, having moved to Poland to make a fortune, but he eventually cannot stand by in the face of Nazi brutality. On my first attempt at age 12, I could not get past the famous scene with the girl in the red coat. For anyone who thinks Fiennes' biggest villain was Voldemort, you have yet to see his SS officer Amon Göth. Schindler's List won seven Academy Awards from 12 nominations in 1994, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
4. Jurassic Park (1993)
In more family-friendly territory is Jurassic Park, coincidentally made just before Schindler's List. This sci-fi adventure marked Spielberg's first collaboration with longtime writer David Koepp, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Crichton based on his 1990 novel. Its tagline was 'an adventure 65 million years in the making,' and it spawned six further films and a massive franchise. Jurassic Park revolutionized how people imagine dinosaurs with groundbreaking animatronics and CGI. The T-rex still terrifies audiences, and the water ripple scene remains iconic. Starring Richard Attenborough as a wealthy CEO funding genetic scientists to create a wildlife park of de-extinct dinosaurs, with Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum as experts invited to certify its safety—what could go wrong?
Where to watch: Streaming on ITVX, Netflix
3. Jaws (1975)
Where it all began for Spielberg as a popular filmmaker, Jaws became the first summer blockbuster, changing release strategies in the 1970s and introducing wide releases in thousands of cinemas. When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping on Amity Island, police chief Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches but is overruled by the mayor focused on tourist revenue. After a second incident on July 4th weekend, Brody teams with marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) to hunt the great white shark. Earning $495 million (£370.8 million) on a $9 million (£6.7 million) budget, Jaws was a phenomenon. From Williams' immortal score to quotes like 'you're gonna need a bigger boat,' it fed society's fear of sharks—Spielberg later said he 'truly regrets' that. Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, he mostly suggested the shark's presence due to mechanical malfunctions, building tension that still terrifies over 50 years later.
Where to watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, NOW (Cinema membership)
2. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial should be mandatory childhood viewing. Written by Melissa Mathison, this sci-fi fantasy follows 10-year-old Elliott (Henry Thomas), who befriends a peaceful alien stranded on Earth. Sheltering him from US government agents, Elliott and his friends and family help E.T. find his way home. The concept was based on an imaginary friend Spielberg created after his parents' divorce, and it gave Drew Barrymore her breakthrough role as Elliott's sister Gertie. It became the highest-grossing film of all time (surpassing Star Wars until Spielberg topped himself with Jurassic Park) and was nominated for nine Oscars, winning four. Beyond its success, E.T. provides that magical childlike wonder and pure nostalgia.
Where to watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, NOW (Cinema membership), Sky Cinema
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The 1930s adventures of dashing archaeologist Indiana Jones always appeal to me. While all five Indy adventures have varying quality, the first is undoubtedly the best. Harrison Ford has always been Indiana Jones first and Han Solo second (even if chronologically that is not true). Spanning from Peru to Nepal to Egypt, Indy is sent to stop a rival archaeologist guiding Nazis to the Ark of the Covenant, whose powers could make an army invincible. He teams up with his old mentor's daughter and ex, Marion (Karen Allen), and Egyptian excavator Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) in a race against time, unknowable forces, and snakes. Raiders of the Lost Ark has one of the best movie themes ever (thanks to Williams) and offers comedy, romance, and spectacle, creating the ultimate action-adventure. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) is a close second.
Where to watch: Streaming on Channel 4, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Disclosure Day is in cinemas now.
