The Roses is based on the 1981 novel, The War of the Roses, which I remember best as an exceptional black comedy starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as the warring couple, Oliver and Barbara Rose.
36 years on, and this new version opens with chef Ivy (Olivia Colman – Wicked Little Letters) and architect Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch – The Phoenician Scheme) at a therapy session, having been asked to make a list of “Ten Things I Like About You”…
…except that one from Ivy’s list is “Theo is a cunt“, leading to the female therapist concluding that they can’t reconcile, but can they put her right?
Cue a flashback to how they met, as he was with clients in a restaurant, ended up in the kitchen where she works, and they met over a discussion about cooking fish. On moving to California, with events catching up ten years later, her restaurant business is on the up, while his career is going the other way, as his latest building collapses in spectacular style, just as he has a huge audience watching.
Still, if Theo designs a new house for the pair, will that resolve things? It doesn’t help that it’s costing so much, but either way, when people walk around in their big posh houses, they’re still wearing outdoor shoes!!! They contain 400,000 particles of faeces!
I wanted to like this, because it has two decent leads, and I was also a fan of the original movie from 1989, but this just feels quite empty, and you don’t really care whether or not they resolve their marital issues.
It also has a poor supporting cast, with their best friends played by Kate McKinnon (A Minecraft Movie) and Andy Samberg (Lee), as couple Amy and Barry, yet her hairstyle, outfit and demeanour says anything OTHER than “I like men”. Same goes for the underwritten restaurant staff Jeffrey (Ncuti Gatwa) and Jane (Sunita Mani – Death Of A Unicorn), and we’ve seen more than enough of the former as he helped destroy Doctor Who.
And who does Jamie Demetriou (Back In Action) keep fellating to get work?! He’s hopeless!!
Plus, director Jay Roach hasn’t made a decent film since the days of Austin Powers. Those ‘Meet the Parents‘ films were very average.
NOTE: There are no mid- nor post-credits scenes.
The Roses is in cinemas now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 105 minutes
Release date: August 29th 2025
Studio: Searchlight Pictures
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 5/10
Director: Jay Roach
Producers: Adam Ackland, Tom Carver, Leah Clarke, Michelle Graham, Jay Roach, Ed Sinclair
Screenplay: Tony McNamara
Novel: Warren Adler
Music: Theodore Shapiro
Cast:
Ivy Rose: Olivia Colman
Theo Rose: Benedict Cumberbatch
Amy: Kate McKinnon
Barry: Andy Samberg
Jeffrey: Ncuti Gatwa
Jane: Sunita Mani
Sally: Zoë Chao
Rory: Jamie Demetriou
Hattie Rose – Younger: Delaney Quinn
Hattie Rose – Older: Hala Finley
Roy Rose – Younger: Ollie Robinson
Roy Rose – Older: Wells Rappaport
Eleanor: Allison Janney
Derek: Will Smith
Sylvia – Food Critic: Caroline Partridge
Sophy: Margaret Clunie
Voice of HAL: Matt Corboy
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.