Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
There’s a gloriously absurd scene in ‘The Roses’ where protagonist Ivy Rose brings out a painstakingly detailed cake shaped like her luxury beach-facing home, then immediately flings it at her guests. I couldn’t stop wondering: what kind of chef puts in that much effort only to obliterate it in a tantrum? It’s a wild contradiction, too proud to outsource the baking, too arrogant to respect the result.
Adapted from Warren Adler’s 1981 novel ‘The War of the Roses’, which also inspired the 1989 black comedy starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, the 2025 reboot comes from director Jay Roach. Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch headline the film as the warring couple, chef Ivy Rose and architect Theo Rose.
The film opens on a hilariously hostile note, with the Roses attending couples therapy. Asked to list ten things they like about each other, they instead serve up their “kindest” compliments, like calling each other a bitch, cunt, or wanker. Flashbacks then rewind the story, revealing how the pair first met and what slowly turned their once-loving relationship from a bed of roses to a prickly battlefield.
Colman and Cumberbatch click effortlessly as the Roses, with flashbacks showcasing a warm, believable chemistry that slowly curdles as the marriage frays. After moving from Britain to America, Theo focuses on climbing the professional ladder while Ivy slips into the role of homemaker, baking desserts for a family of three. Things change when Theo gifts her a small restaurant (which she cheekily christens ‘We’ve Got Crabs‘), meant as a side project but quickly turning into a runaway success, arriving at the worst possible moment for Theo, whose career collapses almost simultaneously.
The Roses comically illustrates how two people who are “truly, deeply, madly” in love with each other can reach a point where they want to smother the other to death in their sleep or slit each other’s throat. Ivy revels in her success, jetting across the globe and expanding her restaurant empire, while Theo throws himself wholeheartedly into homemaking. On the surface, both seem to be thriving, but beneath the role reversal, quiet resentments begin to brew, each missing parts of the life they left behind.
Kate McKinnon and Andy Samberg show up as Amy and Barry, the Roses’ couple friends who feel inserted for nothing but comic relief. McKinnon’s portrayal of Amy feels like she is playing one of her SNL caricatures: loud, odd, dialed up to eleven, and rarely believable as a real person. If that’s your vibe, you’ll laugh hard. If not, you’ll be checking the exit signs.
But the supporting characters barely matter. ‘The Roses’ is an Ivy–Theo show through and through; everyone else fades into the background, even the Rose kids. There’s a running gag about Theo turning the children into athletes once he becomes the homemaker, but the joke ultimately underlines something darker: his need to reclaim control and purpose after his career implodes.
The ending lands a “WTF?” blow. You’d expect at least a few more minutes of the movie to be left, but nope. It feels like your partner just held your hand and seductively invited you into the bedroom, only to suddenly slam the door in your face, leaving you wondering what the fuck just happened. Sure, if you sit and reflect on the open-ended climax, you can piece together what might have happened, but it still doesn’t feel entirely satisfying. That said, this black comedy makes for a perfect one-time watch with friends, pets, or a partner.
Rating: 7 on 10. Watch ‘The Roses’ on Disney+/JioHotstar
Read Next: Mary Shelley Vs del Toro’s Frankenstein – 12 Differences (Audio Version Below)
