Whether or not you’re a true believer or a skeptic, The Age of Disclosure delivers some fascinating information regarding just how long the United States government has supposedly known about the existence of “UAPs” (or, as they’re more popularly known, UFOs). The concepts within The Age of Disclosure are fascinating and tell a classic underdog story, albeit one with a more ambiguous ending. Dan Farah’s directorial debut is the kind of movie that is bound to stir up conversation, especially if it ends up being bought up by a streaming service (this feels tailor-made for Netflix). Unfortunately, it’s executed in the most bland way possible.
What Is ‘The Age of Disclosure’ About?

Image via SXSW

After an opening that flashes back to news coverage of the Congress UFO Hearings, we learn the story of the “Tic Tac” Incident of 2004, where a crew of U.S. Naval Aviators encountered a strange oval-shaped object while patrolling the skies. From there, we are introduced to the person who is ultimately the “protagonist” at the center of this story, Luis Elizondo, a former Department of Defense Officer. Luis is a longtime believer in extra-terrestrial life and, after going public, has been at battle with the U.S. government over leaking classified information that could become a massive security threat.
The Age of Disclosure isn’t the most cinematic documentary; the movie doesn’t go out of its way to recreate footage or use voice-over narration. Instead, Farah’s film relies almost solely on interviews, and outside of Elizondo, whose energy and enthusiasm jolts you awake, nobody has anything particularly interesting to say. Largely because most of the interview subjects are career politicians, and let’s be honest, most politicians nowadays aren’t particularly charismatic.
‘The Age of Disclosure’ Won’t Convert Skeptics

There are some fascinating conversations in The Age of Disclosure, especially when it comes to talking to the four naval pilots who were at the center of the “Tic Tac Incident.” Or when the U.S. Government refused to give Elizondo any credit in releasing formally classified documents about UFOs. But as we get further into the movie, the more ridiculous it gets. None of us will probably ever know the truth about whether we’re alone in the universe. There are a couple of moments where The Age of Disclosure feels pretty convincing, including stating the fact that it is nearly impossible for these UFOs to be a top-secret project from Russia or China. Then we hear some of these experts talk about UFOs, one of the interviewees compares the study to that of the Manhattan Project, and another talks about how dangerous it would be for a terrorist group to get their hands on alien technology.
It’s an odd choice, especially since, if you’re like me and were hoping to be convinced by this film, you’ll be left shaking your head every two minutes. It’s all just a little bit too much. While I’m a sceptic, if I were to be proven wrong, I’d be willing to accept it. While I was intrigued during some moments in The Age of Disclosure, most of it bored me. In fact, the movie felt like it was made to be an echo chamber for those who already believe in UFOs. If the job of The Age of Disclosure was to convert skeptics, it failed. It’s not even as if this is a truly bad movie. Farah goes all out with finding intriguing government personnel for his interviews. Nobody featured in the documentary is just a random schmuck who claims he saw a UFO once while out camping. The way it’s constructed just doesn’t connect.
‘The Age of Disclosure’ Could Have Been ‘The Big Short’ for UFOs… But Isn’t

Image via SXSW

The story of an outsider shaking up a powerful institution is far from new. Weirdly enough, The Big Short came to mind while watching The Age of Disclosure. There’s something so captivating about Elizondo’s story, even if you don’t fully believe what he’s saying. Alongside former Director of Defense official Jay Stratton, Elizondo has a lot of passion. He doesn’t feel like the boring talking head that almost all the other interviewees feel like, and it’s not nearly as absurd as an episode of Ancient Aliens. At the same time, much of The Age of Disclosure feels like listening to a podcast. Outside a few snippets of UFO footage, some of which are already available online, most of the footage used is photos of the subjects talking with Barack Obama or Donald Trump, or even worse, chatting with a late-night talk show host like James Corden.
It also doesn’t help that the pacing makes the movie feel like you’re watching a college PowerPoint presentation. A fancier one than usual, but a PowerPoint presentation nonetheless. It’s just not interesting to watch in the slightest. I won’t sit here and try to tell you that The Age of Disclosure is nothing but blatant lies and stupidity. Most of the participants in the documentary clearly believe every word they’re saying. And a lot of what they’re saying isn’t too weird, at least not as strange as some History Channel shows you’d find airing after midnight. Ultimately, The Age of Disclosure just isn’t very convincing either. There have been far worse docs on the subject of UFOs, and there have even been a few better ones. This just feels like it’s destined to debut on Netflix, become the most-streamed movie for a week, and then be completely forgotten.
The Age of Disclosure premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival.

The Age of Disclosure

Dan Farah’s UFO documentary has some interesting moments but otherwise feels bland and lifeless.

Release Date

March 14, 2025

Runtime

109 Minutes

Director

Dan Farah

Producers

Dan Farah

Pros & Cons

Luis Elizondo’s story is fascinating as it is heartbreaking.
The Age of Disclosure starts strong, especially when discussing the Tic Tac Incident.

The documentary doesn’t offer much visually and is entirely interviews.
The pacing is sluggish and results in a rather boring experience.