‘The Age of Disclosure’ Review: A Documentary Claims to Offer Proof that Alien Spaceships Are Visiting Us. But Does It Really?

by

The Age of Disclosure,” debuted at SXSW today, is a documentary that many people will find intriguing. This film claims to present indisputable evidence that extraterrestrial spaceships are visiting us. If you try to dispute this, as I’ll do in this critique, you may face accusations of being a heretic and a dismissive of reality, someone who refuses to acknowledge the evidence staring them right in the face.

Upon closer examination, the evidence appears somewhat unconvincing: grainy black-and-white video clips from the U.S. government depicting small, swift objects seemingly darting across the water’s surface. This is the same footage of unexplained aerial sightings experienced by Navy pilots, which was made public in 2021 after being declassified. Despite its intrigue, the evidence remains inconclusive and falls short of providing compelling proof for extraterrestrial life. It hardly supports the concept that aliens have been dreaming about us.

However, let’s make one thing clear: Just like countless others who are eagerly anticipating “The Age of Disclosure,” and every reader of this review, I am someone who truly hopes that what we see is real. Over time, I’ve consumed an abundance of UFO specials, documentaries, and YouTube videos, constantly seeking that sense of wonder, yearning for those captivating glimpses of strange lights in the sky, of enigmatic “spaceships,” to be genuine. Occasionally, my mind gets carried away by the tantalizing illusion that, yes! Indeed! They are real! It’s a feeling reminiscent of discovering evidence of divine existence.

The intense desire we all share for that specific sensation, combined with our tendency to interpret available evidence as irrefutable proof, is quite compelling. However, there are hidden, recurring themes in our interactions with extraterrestrial occurrences, and once you begin to recognize these patterns, it can make one less likely to be swayed by blind faith.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve noticed an intriguing pattern over the years: each generation interprets extraterrestrial encounters in ways that resonate with their own cultural zeitgeist. For instance, Orson Welles’ 1938 broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” sent shockwaves through America, causing widespread panic as people believed a Martian invasion was underway. This era was marked by uncertainty and fear, which the radio drama expertly capitalized on.

Fast forward to the 1980s, and tales of alien abduction were rampant. Countless individuals claimed to have been abducted, their stories often sharing similar themes: being taken aboard a spacecraft and subjected to mysterious medical procedures at the hands of beings resembling the alien from Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” These narratives reflected the countercultural haze of the time.

In the 1990s, “The X-Files” emerged, reflecting our current era where everything is suspect and conspiracies abound. Initially, the show’s left-wing perspective on government cover-ups evolved into a more right-wing narrative as the years passed. This TV series mirrors our own skepticism and distrust of institutions that shape our reality.

The unique aspect of “The Age of Disclosure” lies in its fresh and intriguing approach, as it represents the initial extraterrestrial cultural sensation that is wrapped in the seriousness of science, technology, bureaucracy, and data. Unlike the conventional use of the term “UFOs,” which may seem dated or informal, this work focuses on UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), a more sophisticated-sounding term. Furthermore, while the government-approved footage of UAPs doesn’t offer much variety, the documentary, directed by Dan Farah, essentially presents a two-hour discussion featuring numerous experts or “talking heads.

However, these individuals aren’t just random outliers or eccentrics. They are 34 esteemed members from the U.S. government, military, and intelligence sectors, each of whom asserts to have firsthand information about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs). These are highly respected figures, and most appear serious and middle-aged men with white hair. Therefore, it seems plausible that they might be correct, doesn’t it?

The individuals featured in this discussion are unquestionably certain about their statements. For instance, Jay Stratton, a previous head of the Government UAP Task Force, declares that he has personally witnessed non-human craft and entities. Christopher Mellon, a former Defense Department official, asserts that this is the most significant discovery in human history. The film’s testimonies are provided by recognizable figures such as Marco Rubio, a senator turned Secretary of State, or James Clapper, a former director of National Intelligence, and Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Senator. Additionally, there are individuals who seem knowledgeable and credible, like Hal Puthoff, an 88-year-old quantum physicist who was the chief scientist of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. All these people appear to be important figures, which gives the impression that the content of “The Age of Disclosure” is official and authentic.

From my perspective as an enthusiast, the accounts I’ve encountered seem to weave together into one captivating tale, reminiscent of the repeated tales of alien abductions. The focus is consistently on the extraordinary physical attributes of the supposed extraterrestrial spacecraft reported by Navy pilots. Here are some key takeaways: these ships are capable of speeds that outpace anything our current technology can muster. Remarkably, they can halt instantaneously, something unheard of in our understanding of physics. One individual even described a ship that would hover, then ascend into space before descending again to hover once more – an occurrence that challenges our known laws of motion. Some of these witnesses hold ties with the CIA, allowing them to attest that these spacecraft are not connected to any top-secret U.S. government program. Are they perhaps products of a clandestine program from China or Russia? That notion seems implausible given America’s superiority in outer space technology.

The film presents an unusual take on China and Russia, as instead of expressing amazement or shock, the officials portray UFO sightings as a matter of national defense. Witnesses report instances of extraterrestrial spacecraft landings (we’ve recovered some spaceships and occasionally their occupants), and it seems that the US government is primarily concerned with analyzing these crashed ships to replicate their technology, in order to prevent our adversaries from gaining access to it first.

Recently, many of the eyewitness accounts have centered around spaceships similar to those reported in the well-known “Tic Tac” event, where U.S. Navy pilots spotted an object moving swiftly through the sky on November 14, 2004, resembling a mint candy. However, there are also numerous descriptions of more extravagant alien spacecraft – large red cubes and black rectangles, reminiscent of the monolith from “2001”. Some of these sightings occurred right at the entrance to government facilities. It’s worth noting that several witnesses have referred to classified UAP footage, which they claim to have viewed themselves, asserting that it leaves no room for doubt that these are phenomena originating from other dimensions.

Life can seem complex, but certain matters are clear-cut. It’s either what people in “The Age of Disclosure” discuss is indeed extraterrestrial spacecraft…or it isn’t. After watching the film, many viewers might conclude that it is. At times, I found myself engrossed in the testimonials and had fleeting thoughts like, “Could this be real? It just might.

However, my doubts surfaced. These doubts stem from two rather grounded occurrences. The initial one pertains to the power of suggestion – how narratives can be repeated, exaggerated, enhanced, and validated. Yet, what truly concerns me is something far more potent:

The overwhelming impact of confirmation bias – a tendency for individuals to favor information or interpretations that confirm their pre-existing beliefs or assumptions, over those that challenge them. This is the second, and in my opinion, much stronger factor at play.

In this modern era, where cameras are ubiquitous—from smartphones to security systems in military compounds—one might expect an abundance of UFO footage, especially during the so-called “Age of Disclosure.” However, surprisingly, there seems to be a dearth of such footage. Not a single second of it can be found that authentically depicts the events these individuals describe. Are extraterrestrials only visible in top-secret locations? How do we know this for certain?

The title of the movie hints, or perhaps promises, that we’ve entered an era where transparency in government is becoming a reality. The public yearns for truth, and the film implies: We shall uncover it. However, if this is true, then when can we expect to see evidence beyond mere imitations of imitations of ancient video game graphics showing a pixelated UFO speeding across water at approximately 300 miles per hour?

I’ll believe it when I see it.

Read More

2025-03-10 00:48