Directed by Jay Roach, The Roses unites Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch in a sharp, biting tale of love and revenge in this remake of Danny DeVito’s The War of the Roses. The film begins with Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) meeting, quickly falling in love, and marrying just days later, which inspires the two to leave their unfulfilling lives in Great Britain and relocate to a secluded suburb in the Bay Area of California. In time, they welcome two children, Hattie Rose (played by Hala Finley as the adult, and Delaney Quinn as the younger version) and Roy Rose (played by Wells Rappaport as the adult, and Ollie Robinson as the younger version). As Theo wins a prestigious architectural job designing a new maritime museum, he builds and designs for Ivy, a struggling seafood restaurant cheekily named We’ve Got Crabs. Their fresh start seems promising, but fate intervenes when a severe storm destroys the museum on opening night. As people flee the disaster, many spill into Ivy’s restaurant, making her an overnight sensation.
In the wake of Theo’s professional ruin and Ivy’s sudden rise, the dynamics of their marriage shift dramatically…more tragically. Theo reluctantly agrees to step back from his own ambitions to raise the children, while Ivy’s cuisine catches fire and she quickly opens restaurants around the globe. The arrangement, initially practical, becomes a source of friction as Theo grows increasingly bitter and jealous, trapped in domestic duties while his wife achieves fame and success. In a misguided attempt to make Theo feel useful, Ivy offers to pay for a new home and allow Theo to design the perfect home in hopes of reviving his career.
Ivy, meanwhile, becomes consumed by her empire. Her devotion to her work transforms her into a driven, often absent figure in the home, leaving Theo to simmer with resentment. Sarcasm and sharp remarks replace warmth and affection, creating a battleground of envy and jealousy. Their fractured relationship becomes the stage on which competitiveness and disappointment play out, with friends—including characters portrayed by Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon—looking on and offering both comic relief and a mirror to the Roses’ unraveling marriage.
Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch in THE ROSES. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
“Sarcasm and sharp remarks replace warmth and affection, creating a battleground of envy and jealousy.”
I did not expect to like The Roses. It’s one of those stories that, if you watch the trailer, not only does it include scenes almost exclusively from the third act, but it also sets up a sense of dread that can become overwhelming. In spite of that, The Roses tells a simple story of a failing marriage that we’ve seen many times in film and television, but this film is different.
The Roses succeeds for two reasons. The first is that the story is smart. It’s really all about marriage being a partnership. When both parties pursue their separate dreams, they drift apart only to be compounded when Theo’s dream is destroyed and Ivy’s launches into the stratosphere. As much as the story is a revenge story, I couldn’t help but root for both Theo and Ivy and scream out as one bad, selfish decision is compounded by another.
The second reason The Roses works is Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch. Watching these two play off each other is sheer joy. They are not simply two actors playing off one another, but they come across as two friends wanting to make a fun movie. Both understand their characters perfectly and show how acting can elevate a simple story. Together, they evoke sympathy and dread simultaneously. The lengths both characters go to in order to destroy the other are absolutely cringe-worthy…and I loved it.
It’s also great to see Jay Roach pull off another comedy. The timing of the jokes is perfect, and the pacing of the film is as perfect as it gets. Again, the only thing that ruins this movie is the trailer.
In the end, The Roses feels like a genuine comedy comeback. Jay Roach proves he hasn’t lost his touch, pulling together a film that blends smart writing, impeccable timing, and powerhouse performances into something that may just be a classic new take on a rebooted story.
"…evoke sympathy and dread simultaneously."
