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 Monica 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!

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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)!