When “Jaws” hit theatres in 1975, no one—neither the studio executives involved nor the film’s twenty-six-year-old director, Steven Spielberg—was betting on its success. But it dominated at the box office and promptly revolutionized the way movies were promoted, distributed, and merchandised. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz trace how Spielberg inaugurated a new phenomenon in Hollywood: the blockbuster. He would tap his own playbook again and again with such hits as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.,” and “Jurassic Park,” all of which drew impressive audiences and profits. The hosts talk through his filmography, culminating in his new release, “Disclosure Day,” which both replicates and iterates on themes and techniques found in his earlier work. Though other directors may share his capacity for spectacle and action-packed set pieces, much of his appeal lies in his profound earnestness. “What Spielberg is so good at is bringing the human to the fore in these extreme, sci-fi circumstances,” Schwartz says. “And that’s what makes a great blockbuster.”

Read, watch, and listen with the critics:

“Jaws” (1975)
“Disclosure Day” (2026)
“Minority Report” (2002)
“Oscar Wars,” by Michael Schulman
“What Went Wrong” ’s episode about “Jaws”
“Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977)
“Jurassic Park” (1993)
“E.T.” (1982)
“Alf” (1986-90)
“Schindler’s List” (1993)
“One Battle After Another” (2025)
“American Journal,” by Robert Hayden
“Heart of the Beast” (2026)
“Sinners” (2025)
“Nope” (2022)
“Barbie” (2023)
“Obsession” (2026)
“Backrooms” (2026)

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Critics at Large is a weekly discussion from The New Yorker which explores the latest trends in books, television, film, and more. Join us every Thursday as we make unexpected connections between classic texts and pop culture.