REVIEW: 'The Roses' Is A Deeply Profound, Sharp, Dark Comedy
- Christopher Mills
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
This review contains minor spoilers for 'The Roses'.
There are countless movies where we find two people falling for each other, from dating to marriage to kids. It’s wholesome watching a family be built from the ground up, but as years pass, do these marriages stay stable? Can something come between two people who vowed to be with each other till death do them part? Jay Roach and Tony McNamara teamed up to create a remake of the 1989 film The War of the Roses, based on the 1981 Warren Adler novel of the same name, to answer these questions. The result is a movie that explores the complexities of a relationship and how their jobs, children, and lives can ultimately shape their connection, leading to resentment and a loss of the spark that once ignited their love for each other.
The Roses follows Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch), a picture-perfect couple who move to California to begin their family and move further in their respective careers. They have a loving marriage, beautiful kids, and successful careers, but a storm begins to brew as Theo’s career takes a turn for the worse while Ivy’s career skyrockets. The perfect couple act begins to fade as a fierce competition begins, and the resentment for each other becomes as clear as ever.
The movie opens up halfway into its story as we see Ivy and Theo at a marriage counseling but it’s quickly proven that not even that will save their marriage as they send countless insults back and forth at each other instead of the kind remarks that were originally requested. This is all shown before we’re taken back to how both Ivy and Theo met, which led to a quick lovemaking session in the kitchen pantry. One thing Tony McNamara never hides from the audience with his writing is that even when the Roses are at each other’s throats, you can still feel that sense that they love each other, although they soon begin to despise being in the same room as one another.
Theo is an architect and is preparing to unveil his new building, which reflects the culture of California, but unfortunately, due to a storm, an entire building was brought down, which leads to him losing his job and struggle to get a new one. Meanwhile, that same storm has led a renowned food critic to Ivy’s restaurant, which gains her one glowing review that transforms into unfathomable success that not even she could’ve imagined, becoming a celebrity overnight. The contrast between one’s success and one’s failure is what deteriorates this marriage. With kids in the picture, Theo gets to spend more time with them, forcing them into a nutritious diet and an exercise regimen. Ivy is losing this connection with her kids and returning home to a place that just doesn’t feel all that familiar anymore.
Theo has become a stay-at-home father, and while this is the reasoning for why he's able to dictate how his kids behave, Ivy doesn’t pay attention to any of his efforts, which further adds fuel to the fire, building up that resentment he has for his own wife as she flourishes in the success. The beauty of McNamara’s writing is that while they’re beginning to not stand each other, they still try to find ways to assist each other and overcome their problems. Theo offers to finally turn over a new leaf and stop letting the disaster define his life, but ultimately, Ivy gives Theo the chance to create his dream house, which she agrees to pay for with the money she’s made from franchising her restaurant.
While this may seem like the solution to rescue their relationship, it only gets worse from this point onwards, with McNamara writing their dispute like an all-out war between two nations that comes to their solution once it’s already too late.
Benedict Cumberbatch doesn’t normally find himself in comedies but with this dark comedy, the writing of McNamara and Roach’s direction really brings out a side of Cumberbatch that’s not regularly seen. With The Roses, we get to see how he shines in a comedic role and how his chemistry with Olivia Colman, who excels in a comedy, truly elevates his performance. Aside from the chaotic nature of their marriage, which begins to go ablaze after the inciting incident of Theo losing his job and Ivy’s restaurant gaining popularity, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman deliver a performance that’s both electric and aggressive, providing the soul and essence of The Roses.
Cumberbatch delivers one of the best performances in his career in a thought-provoking scene that involves a whale, which brings Theo to the realisation that this marriage is a relationship that has its expiry date and will no longer work. As great as the comedy is in The Roses, it's scenes like this that bring you down to reality, showing the hardships of maintaining a marriage and how toxicity and jealousy can corrupt an almost perfect marriage.
It’s McNamara’s writing that brings The Roses together in a neat package with the performances and direction. It’s a deeply heated divorce battle that takes place, who gets what in the divorce settlement, and words thrown as weapons start another small argument between the two. The dialogue in this movie is sharp like the knives that Ivy uses at her restaurant, “We Got Crabs”. Every exchange between the two is effective and makes the final conflict/conversation at the end of the film feel worthwhile.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are the heart of The Roses, but its supporting cast provides the crutches for the comedy to truly land. Barry (Andy Samberg) is Theo’s good friend (and lawyer) who brings him down to reality, along with his wife Amy (Kate McKinnon), who might have a crush on Theo and benefit from this marriage falling apart but comes through with words of wisdom to help Theo through this difficult time and ensure that he doesn’t lose his life partner.
The Roses is a deeply profound, entertaining movie that explores the intricacies of love and hate, with knives being thrown, gunshots being let loose, and cakes being thrown. It’s a display of how the toxicity within Theo and Ivy’s relationship begins to poison their marriage and the relationship with their jobs, friends, and their own kids. Tony McNamara’s writing helps this film send messages and reach heights that it would’ve struggled to without him. Benedict Cumberbatch gives one of the best performances of his career, displaying his range as he excels in this outrageously hilarious dark comedy, with Olivia Colman delivering a sensational performance that tears you apart as their relationship crumbles in front of you. Sunita Mani and Ncuti Gatwa also help level the playing field with the comedy, becoming great scene partners with Colman. If you’re second-guessing entering a relationship or marriage, The Roses might have all the answers you’re asking for and is worth the watch.
Rating: ★★★★☆
About The Roses
Premiere Date: August 29, 2025
Writer: Tony McNamara
Director: Jay Roach
Production: South of the River Pictures, Sunnymarch, Delirious Media
Distribution: Searchlight Pictures
Cast: Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg, Ncuti Gatwa, Sunita Mani, Zoë Chao, Jamie Demetriou
Synopsis: A tinderbox of competition and resentments underneath the façade of a picture-perfect couple is ignited when the husband's professional dreams come crashing down.