My September 2026 Movie and TV Series Picks and Pans

[I review the Anthony Bourdain biopic, "Tony" as well as the drama "The Seemingly Perfect Family" and the Netflix docuseries "The Death of the Pastor's Wife."]

Tony (2026)

Origin story about Anthony Bourdain, when he was just Tony.

I was a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain, from his ground-breaking restaurant expose book, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000)" to his foodie travel shows - "A Cook's Tour" on the Food Network followed by "No Reservations" and "The Layover" on the Travel Network and "Parts Unknown" on CNN. Happily, when I lived in Seattle, I was able to get some VIP tickets for his "Close to the Bone," one-man show in 2015 and met him.  He was very welcoming and humble, though he didn't like it when I said I enjoyed "The Layover," which he did NOT enjoy. 

Sadly, Anthony took his own life in 2018 at the age of 61. 

But this movie is before all of that, when Anthony was still Tony, a young guy without a clue. He said about himself during those years, "I was - to be frank - a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout, and badly in need of a good ass-kicking."  And the movie begins with that quote and that guy.

Dominic Sesse ("The Holdovers") plays 19-year-old Tony Bourdain who is a student at Vassar and aspires to be a writer. When he doesn't get a fellowship to write a novel over the summer, he travels to Provincetown, Massachusetts to catch up with Nancy (Emilia Jones), a girl he is interested in, but upon arrival discovers she is dating a pizza delivery man.  He gets drunk at The Flagship, a local seafood restaurant, and afterwards is robbed, so finding himself short of money and not able to take the ferry home, he returns to The Flagship and appeals to the head chef there for a job, even though he has no restaurant experience.  The kindly chef (Antonio Banderas - always a joy to see him) takes pity on him and gives him a dishwashing job and Tony eventually works his way up to a cook, though he still engages in some clueless stuff, but that summer stint in a restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts, turned out to be a turning point in young Tony Bourdain's life.

Sesse is wonderful as Tony, the "young lout," and the rest of the ensemble is also excellent, espcially Banderas and the handsome Leo Woodall ("The White Lotus") as Sal, an abrasive macho guy who takes Tony under his wing. Anthony's close friend, chef Eric Ripert, who discovered Anthony's body has a poignant cameo in the film. Directed by Matt Johnson and written by Johnson, Todd Bartels, Lou Howe, and Matthew Miller, this is an atmospheric "coming of age" story about one very special summer and how Tony became Anthony.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an affectionate and very poignant tribute to a wonderful talent we lost too soon. (For rent on Apple+)

The Seemingly Perfect Family (2026)

A young woman who has just aged out of foster care, gets a nanny job under false pretenses.

I was surprised to discover this was a Lifetime movie.  I didn't really realize Netflix was in cahoots with the Lifetime movie folks. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing as I have been known to like Lifetime movies in the past (I even wrote about it - "Lifetime Movies: A Baby Boomer's Appreciation"), but that was the past.  I have become more sophisticated since then.  However, I am susceptible to movies about couples being impacted by their nannies or housemaids.  In fact, the premise and the teaser for this movie totally reminded me of "The Housemaid," a movie I enjoyed and which I favorably reviewed back in March, so I jumped but I have to say the fall wasn't pretty. I was reminded of just how bad Lifetime movies can be.

Lexi (Rylee Reagan) is a young woman leaving foster care but not sure what to do with her life.  She overhears her friend, Blair (Violet SinClair), talking about a nanny job and Lexi goes behind her back and nabs the job.  Chelsea (Anna Morgan Neugent) and Daniel Sterling (Bourke Floyd) are an affluent couple with a newborn, but it becomes clear early on that they are not a happy couple and theirs is not a perfect family.  And despite the title of this film, they don't even SEEM to be a perfect family. Chelsea is not a happy camper and is actually quite hostile to Lexi.  And let me tell you about Daniel.  He is about as pervy as an older man can get. He is forever oggling Lexi and following her around.  Let's just say he has plans for our Lexi.

As I said, I have a weakness for this kind of movie, but even I have my standards.  Remember how I always say, "I see the bad ones so you don't have to?"  Well, this one is bad. Directed by Lisa France (story by Ken Sanders and written by Amy Dawson and Daniel West), the whole film is like a cartoon and it actually made me laugh at times, but not in a good way. Everyone is overacting like crazy. Neugent always looks mad; Floyd as Daniel seems to have two expressions - a menacing grimace or big eyes as he leers at Lexi.  And speaking of Lexi, Reagan always seems either concerned or surprised.  She is probably wondering what she is doing in this movie.

Rosy the Reviewer says...you might watch this for the campy aspect to get a laugh or two, but all-in-all, I can't recommend it. If you like this genre, try "The Housemaid" instead. (Netflix)

Death of the Pastor's Wife (2026)

Can you be a murderer if you drive your wife to suicide?

This three-part docuseries makes you wonder as it recounts the true story of Mica and John-Paul Miller and the circumstances surrounding Mica's mysterious death.

John-Paul Miller was a charismatic pastor for the Solid Rock Church and young Mica Francis was one of his parishioners.  He was a 38-year-old married man with five children and she was just 16 when they met.  She worked for him as a nanny and they later began an affair when John-Paul was 35 and Mica was 20 and wed when he was 38 and she was 22.

From the outside, the Myrtle Beach-based Millers appeared to have a picture-perfect marriage. Mica sang and helped John-Paul lead the congregation but behind closed doors the two had a tumultuous relationship and Mica would ultimately be found dead at aged 30 in a state park, and it wasn't long before everyone started asking questions about Mica's death. 

Mica grew up in the chuch, dedicated her life to it and spent most of her time with John-Paul and the congregation during her young years.  She looked up to him as a pastor and as an authority figure and he had a tremendous amount of power over her. She was fully wrapped up in John-Paul's world but as time went on, the relationship soured and Mica suffered from mental health issues and it didn't help that John-Paul was controlling (he would bombard her with texts and calls whenever she left the house) and had kinky sexual proclivities, such as hiring homeless people to have sex with the both of them. She complained in her diary of being abused "emotionally, sexually, spiritually, financially and physically." 

Mica first filed for divorce just six years after they married but dismissed it and then there were several back and forth separations and dismissals.  That was a theme for them. Mica also sought a restraining order against John-Paul due to his alleged abuse. The final filing was in 2024 when Mica moved out of their home and was living on her own. She reported John-Paul for stalking her, tracking her car with surveillance devices, cutting her tires with razor blades and posting nudes of her online. But her cries for help were not answered.

She eventually purchased a firearm, called 911 to report that she was going to kill herself and wanted them to know where she was so her family could find her body.  She was later found in a state park with a bullet to the head.

On the day after her death, John-Paul held a lengthy service filled with humor and only at the very end mentioned to the congregation that Mica had died.  Nice guy.

Mica's story was a cause celebre on the Internet, and this series directed by Michael Gasparro and Julia Willoughby Nason uses John-Paul's sermons (he was quite the misogynist and talked about sex a lot), police calls, text messages, never-before-seen footage and firsthand accounts from friends and family to try to figure out what drove her to suicide.  The series also shines a light on how sometimes patriarchy in religious doctrine can facilitate abuse and that domestic abuse does not always include physical violence. And even though John-Paul had an alibi for the day Mica died, after seeing this docuseries, one can't help but feel his hand was also on that gun.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a chilling and engrossing docuseries that raises awareness about the different faces of domestic abuse. (Netflix)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

Some Not-To-Be-Missed Short Films Coming to the Carmel International Film Festival October 1-4: "Something Pointless," "The Liars of Black Mountain Road," and "Redlining"

The Carmel International Film Festival is back for it's third year (October 1-October 4), once again hosted by film and television professional Annette Andersen Caton and film director/producer/writer Lawrence Roeck.

This year's jury is star-studded: Actress Francis Fisher, whose work includes roles in "Unforgiven," "Titanic," and numerous television series; Academy Award winning actor, Timothy Hutton ("Ordinary People," "Taps," "The Falcon and the Snowman"); award-winning director, producer, and writer, Stephen Gyllenhaal whose career spans more than four decades in film and television; cartoonist, writer, illustrator, and co-founder of Bongo Comics, Bill Morrison, who has also worked on "The Simpsons;" and Stephen Nemeth, an accomplished producer, actor, and director of independent narrative features and award-winning documentaries and the founder of Rhino Films.

It all begins Wednesday, September 30 with a Kick-Off Party and Opening Night Gala from 6-9pm at Mission Bistro in Carmel featuring the Brews Blues Band followed by industry panels, film screenings and audience Q & A's on subsequent days and evenings through October 4th at the Golden Bough Theatre.

In the meantime, I was given a sneak peek of some of the films we can look forward to, and, you are in luck!  I am going to share my sneak peek of three narrative short films with you that are scheduled to show at the Festival. I have always been a fan of "shorts" and miss the fact that movie theatres don't routinely show them anymore along with the feature film like they used to do back when I was young. Short films often have huge impact.  So I was looking forward to seeing these...and I was not disappointed.

 Something Pointless (2026)

A sad young boy and an old man make a connection over what might be considered "something pointless."

Owen Teale ("Game of Thrones") plays Aldous Evans, an elderly man with failing health. Facing his mortality, he comes up with a theory.  To take a break from the madness that often surrounds us in everyday life, it is important to do something each day that is completely pointless, with no end in mind, and in so doing, be able to see how wonderful everything else can be.  One pointless meaningless act each day will make you appreciate the million and one other things in life just a little bit more.

So Aldous starts painting eggshells and affixing them to a desolate wall.

In the meantime, there is a young boy (Leo Harris) who is being bullied at school.  He never smiles. The Headmaster (Sule Rimi) of the school is so concerned about the boy that he calls in his parents asking them if the boy smiles at home. The parents are shocked at the question but when the Headmaster asks them what makes the boy smile, they can't think of anything.

So we have a young boy who never smiles and a dying elderly man who come together during what is supposed to be a pointless act but ends up having a big point. 

This award-winning Welsh film, written by Neil Graham and David Cormican and directed by Asa Bailey is beautifully produced, thoughtfully directed and wonderfully acted to create a lyrical reminder that sometimes the most pointless things go on to become the most point filled.

And this movie also makes a big point about filmmaking as well.  Sometimes a 14 minute film can get to the point and make a profound statement and linger in one's mind longer than many feature length films. That's why I enjoy short films so much.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a beautiful 14 minutes reminding us that we never know how our seemingly small acts can affect the lives of others.

The Liars of Black Mountain Road (2026)

When a couple run over a dog in their car, their true selves emerge.

Abbie (Millie Gibbons) and Ethan (Nolan Gould) are driving along a desolate stretch of California when Ethan hits a dog and kills it. They are traumatized but Ethan checks the dog's collar for a tag so he can call the owner.  He wants to do the right thing.  He finds the phone number and calls and Abbie notices that Ethan implies to the dog's owner that he found the dog, not that he hit the dog. Abbie calls him on it, saying he isn't taking responsibility for hitting the dog, and he disputes her, saying the owner knows he hit the dog.  But Abbie won't let up about it.  Surely he must tell the owner that he, Ethan, was the one who hit the dog. She can't let it go and takes a hoity-toity superior attitude while Ethan insists he is a good person and is doing the right thing. No one saw him hit the dog. Most people would just leave the dog on the side of the road, right?  

Based on the real life experience of director Parker Croft, who also wrote the screenplay with Gould - thank goodness the dog Croft hit didn't die - this twelve and a half minute film, asks - Is Ethan a good person even though he doesn't admit he was the one who hit the dog? Or is he a person who avoids the truth? And what does Abbie really think of Ethan if she is so quick to judge him? And is Abbie a good person to so easily throw Ethan under the bus? Is their relationship going to survive this incident? 

Excellent acting, first-rate production values and taut, thoughtful direction combine to create a "fly on the wall" feeling as we observe these two trying to navigate this incident. The tension is palpable.  I felt like I was in the car with them. And it will make you ask yourself...what would I do in a situation like that?

Oscar-nominated actress Abigail Breslin is one of the Executive Producers and the film won the Grand Prize for Short Film of the Year at the 2026 Veneto International Film Festival and that was well-deserved.

Rosy the Reviewer says...it's amazing the impact a twelve and a half minute film can have.

Redlining (2026)

The story of a white family and a black family and a house.

You may or may not know what "redlining" is. If you don't, here is the short version. It is a term coined in the 1960s by sociologist John McKnight to describe the discriminatory practice of banks that classified certain neighborhoods as "hazardous," or not worthy of investment due to the racial makeup of the residents, thus making it difficult for those residents to get mortgages. But it wasn't just a practice involving mortgages. It also involved denial of credit in general and denial of health care and insurance as well and, it wasn't just about race, either. There was also discrimination against sexual orientation and women. Redlining was a pervasive practice of systemic discrimination that had a wide-ranging impact on American society, and despite legislation against redlining ("The Fair Housing Act of 1968," and 1974's "Equal Credit Opportunity Act"), it still exists today on some levels, with discriminatory lending patterns, systemic disparities persisting in modern housing practices and basic underfunding in minority neighborhoods. Redlining has also historically contributed to the long-term decline of low-income inner-city neighborhoods and the complex issue of generational wealth.

And this 18-minute short film powerfully dramatizes this issue.

Written by actor and comedian Jason Stuart and actress Lee Garlington, who also both star (and directed by Stuart), this is the story of the Gurney family, who are white, and the Williams family, who are black, who all live together on a piece of property in Savannah, Georgia in 1974.  All seems tranquil on the outside but inside the house there is drama, and when Gloria Gurney (Alexandra Paul), the matriarch, dies in 2014, the ownership of the house is called into question.

The ensemble cast is excellent and stars some veteran actors. Jason Stuart, who plays Andrew Gurney, is a character actor and stand-up comic.  He had roles in the 2016 version of "The Birth of a Nation," "Kindergarten Cop," and other feature films. Lee Garlington, who plays Andrew's sister, Katie, is an Emmy-nominated actress who has had recurring roles in "The West Wing," "Will & Grace," and other notable series.  And Alexandra Paul has come a long way since "Bay Watch."  Here she begins as a 40-year-old chainsmoker and ends as a 75-year-old chainsmoker. Kareem Ferguson (Clayton Williams) was featured in HBO's "Winning Time" and Ryan Murphy's "Monster," and Dalilah Ali Rajah who plays Barbara "has guest-starred on every Shonda Rhimes series on TV."

Rosy the Reviewer says...a talented cast telling a story that touches on generational wealth, prejudice, homosexuality, women's rights and discrimination...all in a powerful 18 minutes.

I hope this sneak peek piqued your interest to join me at this year's Carmel International Film Festival to see these and more great movies, not to mention the opportunity to mingle with some film folks.  

For more information and tickets, visit www.ciffest.com. See you there!

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

My Movie Picks and Pans for August 2026, Part 2: "Disclosure Day," "Backrooms" and "This Time Next Year"

[I review Steven Spielberg's latest, "Disclosure Day" as well as the horror film "Backrooms" and the British rom-com "This Time Next Year."]

Disclosure Day (2026)

Another reminder that we might not be alone.

Back in 1978, Ruth Montgomery warned in her book "Strangers Among Us," that aliens had invaded human bodies as "walk ins" and lived among us. A recent HBO miniseries "Bring Me the Beauties:The Model Cult" continues that story with a documentary about a 1980's group called Eternal Values run by charismatic socialite Frederick von Mieiers who claimed to be an extraterrestrial and recruited models to his cult (he only liked pretty people). And then there has always been the whole Roswell mystery - that the U.S. government had proof that aliens had landed on earth and the government was hiding it from the American public. Well, now Steven Spielberg weighs in with this story he came up with and directed (screenplay by David Koepp) and, from his interviews about this movie, he appears to be a believer - that we are not alone and the government has been hiding that from us.

And that's what this movie is all about.

Cybersecurity specialist Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) has stolen documents and an extraterrestrial device from his employer, a secretive U.S.government contractor known as the Wardex Corporation (Waived Reporting, Development, and Extraction) run by Noah Scanlan (Colin Firth) that proves that the whole Roswell incident is true and aliens have always been with us. And the Wardex people are not happy about what Kellner has done so he is on the run with his girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson, Bono's daughter).

Daniel is being helped by Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), who leads a team of former Wardex employees who want to disclose the evidence to the world that extraterrestrials are here.  But Wardex and the government are going to do everything they can to keep that from happening.

Meanwhile, in Kansas City, TV meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) is living with her boyfriend, Jackson (Wyatt Russell, Goldie Hawn's and Kurt Russell's son), and wondering whether she should stay in Kansas City when a cardinal flies into her home. Somehow, that incident changes Margaret and gives her a pscyhic ability to intuit people's thoughts and speak in languages she has never learned. During a live weather broadcast, Margaret unexpectedly begins speaking in an unknown language. Footage of the broadcast goes viral and draws the attention of Wardex, which identifies the language as extraterrestrial. So now, under the direction of Scanlan, Wardex is after her too. And somehow Margaret knows she needs to find Daniel - well, I guess she knows because now she is psychic - so off she goes to find him with Wardex in the guise of FBI agents after her. Turns out Daniel and Margaret discover they have a bond from the past.

Steven Spielberg knows how to make riveting movies, but there is a moment when Daniel says, "I don't understand what's happening," and I felt that way myself for the first 90 minutes of this movie. But, I was still engaged. That says something about Spielberg's movie-making abilities. I just wish he didn't take so long to tell the story. At two and a half hours, it's too long. But at least I watched it at home with a glass of wine and could take an intermission. I have a big TV so I am not as inclined to venture out to the theatre anymore. Though I want to support the movie industry, I just don't enjoy the long movies that seem to be the thing these days nor do I miss people talking behind me and the crackling of candy wrappers.

Anyway, as for the alien question, I have always wondered if there really were aliens among us and the government had proof, why would the government want to keep this a secret? What would happen if we knew the truth? Spielberg attempts to tackle that question. He seems to be saying that if we believed in aliens we would see them as supreme beings and would stop believing in God and that would divide us all further. Not sure about that. But it's a question worth asking. 

But despite my confusion and several "Huh?" moments, the all-star cast and the special effects were amazing, especially a scene with a car being dragged by a speeding train. Despite its length, the film keeps moving, is action-packed and engaging.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a long but fun ride even if I didn't know what was going on half of the time. (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and Apple+)

Backrooms (2026)

A San Jose furniture store contains an entryway into another dimension...and it's not nice in there.

It's 1990 and failed architect Clark (Chiwetel Ejofor) now owns a struggling furniture store in San Jose, California. He dresses up like a pirate to promote his store on TV with the help of his assistant manager, Kat (Lukita Maxwell) and her boyfriend, Bobby (Finn Bennett).  Clark is a sad character as he struggles with his alcoholism and a dissolved marriage and blames his situation on everyone and everything else besides himself.  

Having taken up residence in the store, one night Clark notices the lights flickering mysteriously and his television functioning erratically and while checking the breaker box, Clark notices a glowing slit in a wall. Approaching it, he falls through and enters a huge backroom area filled with upended furniture, empty closets filled with empty hangers, narrow passages, an endless series of abandoned office spaces. Clark also realizes he is not alone as an unseen entity appears to chase him and he narrowly escapes back into his store. There is also someone watching him from behind the scenes.

Clark has been seeing therapist Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve), who has her own issues, and when he tells Mary about the Backrooms, he is met with skepticism, so to get proof, Clark brings Kat and Bobby into the Backrooms to film their discoveries. Not good. Some bad things happen.

Later, Mary receives a cryptic message from Clark, who tells her that he is staying in the Backrooms and will not return.  Concerned about Clark, Mary visits the store and enters the Backrooms herself. Not good.  More bad things happen.

Ejofor and Reinsve are wonderfully believable as flawed characters struggling with their pasts, thrown into a kind of hell. It's like the halls of "Severance" but on acid. The film also reminded me of Jean-Paul Sartre's play "No Exit," set in a single room representing Hell. Is it hell?  Is it a nightmare?  Or is it madness?

Like "Obsession," this is a first feature film by a YouTuber, this time, Kane Parsons, whose YouTube series went viral and was picked up by A24, becoming the second highest-grossing horror film of 2026 and the fifth highest-grossing independent film of all time. The concept of Backrooms is an Internet urban legend from 2019.  Parsons wrote the screemplay along with Will Soodik and directed this highly creepy and disturbing horror film that will stay in the backrooms of your brain for awhile. Who knew huge empty well-lit rooms could be so scary? Much of the movie is filmed from the characters' point of view as they explore the backrooms which adds to a "you are there" aspect, and in turn adds to the creepyness factor. But there are also some "WTH?" unexplained moments like, what the hell did the “Async Research Institute" with Phil (Mark Duplass) monitoring the Backrooms on cameras have to do with this and what the hell was that ending all about?

Rosy the Reviewer says...I mostly enjoyed this if I can say "enjoy" about a horror film. But if you like creepy, you will like this and you will never look at a furniture store the same way again.  (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime or Apple+)

This Time Next Year (2024)

Quinn (Lucien Laviscount) and Minnie (Sophie Cookson) were born only two minutes apart on New Year's Day.  They meet by chance 30 years later.  Gee, do you think they will hook up?

Minnie Cooper (yes, she knows) hates her birthday.  They have all been bad birthdays and this year is no different. She just doesn't seem to have good luck.  She goes to a New Year's Eve party with her not-very-nice boyfriend, Greg (Will Hislop), gets mistaken for a server and get locked in the bathroom all night.  The next morning she is rescured by a handsome stranger, Quinn Hamilton.  

Turns out, they were both born within minutes of each other in the same London hospital but Quinn beat her to be the first baby born in 1990, thus his mother, Tara (Golda Rosheuvel), won the money awarded to the first baby, and worse, Tara stole the name Minnie's mother, Connie (Monica Dolan), was going to name her. Connie had shared with Tara that she was going to name her baby Quinn and that it was a lucky name. But Tara beat her to it, naming her baby Quinn and winning the huge cash prize for giving birth to the first baby of the year. And thus started a series of unlucky events for Minnie and Connie's huge resentment toward Tara.

Minnie runs a food truck and has had an unlucky life but she is a kind person working with seniors. Quinn, on the other hand, is a wealthy businessman who has lived a charmed life, but he is a kind person too. One can't help but wonder if Quinn was indeed a lucky name that Minnie missed out on. 

In true rom-com fashion, the two meet cute, really like each other, then a misunderstanding occurs and then they don't like each other, yada, yada, yada.  We know how it's going to go but the Brits do a good job with romantic comedies.  Their rom-coms tend to be more original, not following the Hallmark formula as much, and include fun, quirky characters, and yes, poignancy.  I mean, does "Love Actually" ring a bell?  Or "Notting Hill?"  And... actually...director Nick Moore has been working in this rom-com genre for awhile having edited both "Love Actually" and "Notting Hill."

And...actually... this film, written by Sophie Cousens (based on her book by the same name) is just as good as those. 

Cookson and Laviscount are attractive lovers who exude warmth and who together bring out the best in each other. And there is a sweet subplot involving Connie and Tara. It all unfolds with beautiful London as a backdrop. It is one of the best rom-coms I have seen this year and I am picky about my ron-coms.

Rosy the Reviewer says...this is how you do a rom-com that's worth watching - characters with some depth and some issues to resolve; unlikely friendships, quirky characters and a good message. And it doesn't hurt that the leading man is super attractive. If you like rom-coms, you don't want to miss this one! (streaming on Amazon Prime)

 

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

My Movie Picks and Pans for August 2026: A Comedy, a Rom-Com and a Documentary!

[I review Kevin Hart's new movie on Netflix "72 Hours," as well as the rom-com "You, Me & Tuscany," and the documentary "A Toxic Love Story."]

72 Hours (2026)

A 40-year-old finds himself accidentally invited to a three-day Bachelor Party with a bunch of 20-somethings. He goes. Chaos ensues.

I have always been a Kevin Hart fan, and the premise of this movie sounded funny, like a new version of "The Hangover," and I was in need of a good comedy.  Yes, it was a knock-off of "The Hangover," but sadly not funny nor a good comedy.

Joe Nixon (Hart) is a 40-something advertising executive in New York City who accidentally gets added to a group-chat of twenty-somethings mistakenly inviting him to an upcoming bachelor party in Miami. It just so happens that Joe is smarting from not getting the promotion he was expecting because he wasn't able to promote his company's vodka product effectively to young people. There was an insinuation that he is too old. So he gets the idea that if he goes to this bachelor party with these twenty-seomthings, he can get some valuable information that will help him promote the product to the younger generation and thus get his promotion. But he also kind of wants to get his youth back. 

So even though these kids are strangers, Joe takes them up on the invitation and decides to impress them by paying for a lavish Air BNB and basically footing the bill for everything.  When Joe arrives, the guys - Nick (Marcello Hernandez), Mason (Mason Gooding), Freshman (Kam Patterson) and Hunter (Ben Marshall) - are surprised Joe is "so old," so now Joe has to show them he can party as hard as they do, leading him to drugs and drinks and general chaos, including gangsters after them. Meanwhile, Hunter is nursing a broken heart, Nick is relentlessly picking on Mason about getting married and Freshman is clueless. 

Written by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Kevin Burrows, and Matt Mider and directed by Tim Story, old age and raunchy jokes abound along with projectile vomiting, a plethora of F-bombs and some helicopter penises (don't ask). Oh, and did I mention there were also whale penises and gangsters? Yawn.  You would think with four writers on board, something would have worked but not fun or funny.

And Hernandez, Patterson and Marshall are writers and performers on "Saturday Night Live," so you would think that this movie would at least be as funny as SNL, but nope. The concept was funny, the execution not. Teyana Taylor makes an appearance as Joe's girlfriend but doesn't have much to do, and Kevin plays his usual perplexed, put-upon and overwhelmed persona but it's not enough. Kevin, Kevin, Kevin.  You are a talentedly unpredictable and funny guy.  What are you doing in this predictable, unfunny movie? If this was meant to boost your career, it didn't work. 

Rosy the Reviewer says...watching this movie, I had to ask myself - When did comedies stop being funny?  I haven't seen a funny comedy in a long, long time.  And this is one of them.  If you watch it, remember, I warned you. But maybe, like Joe, I was just the wrong demographic for this party. (Netflix) 

 You, Me & Tuscany (2026)

A aspiring American chef squats in an empty Italian villa pretending to be the owner's fiance, not realizing what she has gotten herself into.

Anna Montgomery (Halle Bailey) is a young wannabe chef who put her dreams on hold after the death of her mother. Now she works as a house sitter and has the bad habit of pretending to be the owner of the house, helping herself to their clothes and other accoutrements. However, when she is caught in the act, she loses a big client.  

Drowning her sorrows in a bar, Anna meets Matteo Costa (Lorenzo de Moor), a handsome Italian real estate guy, who regales her with tales of his home in a charming village in Tuscany.  He invites her back to his room but he falls asleep before anything happens.  The next morning he is gone but leaves her a note apologizing for leaving but encouraging her to follow her dreams. Well, that's all it takes.  Off Anna goes to Tuscany and, finding accommodations in Matteo's village all booked because of a festival, Anna also gets the bright idea to stay in Matteo's empty villa. She finds the hidden housekeys, lets herself in and plans to do what she always does - pretend she lives there.  But then Matteo's mother, Gabriella (Isabella Ferrari) and his grandmother Alessia (Stefania Casini), show up.  What should she do?  Why, let's dig an even bigger hole and pretend to be engaged to Matteo.

The charade continues even after meeting Matteo's cousin, Michael (Rege-Jean Page), and finding a mutual attraction. And wouldn't you know, Matteo's father, Vincenzo (Paolo Sassanelli), owns a restaurant and Anna gets to help Matteo's father in his restaurant. Could it get any better?

But then, Matteo shows up.

Halle Bailey is a lovely young actress (her starring debut was in 2023's "The Little Mermaid"), but her gifts are not enough to save this very silly and unoriginal rom-com. Rom-com and Hallmark movie cliches abound. I know rom-coms can be silly but also charming, and, yes, even original. I enjoy them for the charming and original part. Sadly, this one lacks the charm, is not original and is actually kind of dumb.  

And if you have been wondering where hearthrob Rege-Jean Page has gone after steaming up "Bridgerton" as the Duke of Hastings for the first season ("Bridgerton" was never the same after he left), here he is. And yes, he takes his shirt off.  But even with that, all I can say is, Rege-Jean, get thee back to "Bridgerton!" Or at least to a project worthy of your talent and, yes, handsomeness. Written by Ryan and Kirsten Engle and directed by Kat Coiro, this is an unworthy piece of fluff and even the beautiful Tuscan landscape can't save it.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you can totally suspend disbelief...and I mean totally...and you miss Page, you might enjoy this but at least wait until it streams for free (update: now streaming on Peacock). I certainly wish, I not only hadn't paid to rent it, but that I hadn't spent an hour and 45 minutes watching it. (Peacock and for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime )

 

A Toxic Love Story (2026)

A newly married U.S. Marshall and his wife start receiving threatening emails supposedly from his ex-girlfriend...but are they really from her?

Angela Connell and U.S. Marshall, Ian Diaz, are newly married.  But before that, Angela had a sketchy past trying to pass herself off as an attorney and cancer victim.  But now the two are happily married but appear to be targeted by Ian's ex-girlfriend, Michelle Hadley, who they say is harassing them with emails wishing them dead using a "Lilithistruth" persona (Lilith was supposedly Adam’s first wife and when banished from Eden became a revenge-seeking demon - not good). And in Lilith fashion, she is also placing ads on Craigslist under Angela's name saying she has a rape fantasy so men with that same fantasy will come over to her house and rape her. Cops are called, restraining orders are in place but the harassment continues. Then Angela reports that a man has appeared at her home and attempted to rape her.

There are many twists and turns in this real life horror story, with interviews and police body cam footage documenting this story directed by Alexandra Lacey, who beautifully structures and paces the film to keep you absorbed to the very surprising ending.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like twisty-turny true crime documentaries, you will like this one. (Netflix)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!