If something looks perfect from the outside does it mean it actually is?

That’s the concept that director Jay Roach brings to life in the new movie The Roses released in August 2025.

The Roses is a reimagining of the 1989 film The War of the Roses which was originally based on Warren Adler’s 1981 novel.

Although unlike the novel the characters instead are shown to struggle with their different careers either rising or falling.

It has been adapted, in my opinion, to make it resonate with women a lot more as in both the novel and first film the women were stay at home mothers who felt unsatisfied.

This appears to be one of the main reasons for the divorces with Barbara (Kathleen Turner) eventually turning to a catering business.

However, within the new modernised version Ivy’s (Olivia Colman) successful career is a point of contempt for Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch).

While it starts off with a more realistic depiction of parents struggling with the loss of a career and a start of a new one, it slowly divulges itself away from the typical divorcee movie.  

I watched this movie at the Everyman (luxury I know!) and the grip it had on me as an audience member was outstanding.

With the selection of actors involved in this movie it’s no surprise that there is a mix of comedy and drama making it a satirical black comedy.

While it was delightful to watch, I feel that some audience members might criticise the realism of the movie.

Yet I go to the cinema to be transported from real life so the mix of realism and shock factor was highly entertaining. 

A contrasting mix of comedy and darkness

The performances from the actors was exactly what the movie needed.

The chemistry, or lack thereof, between Colman and Cumberbatch was so believable that you would think that they were married in real life.

Their delivery of both the comedy and the rage was again so believable that it sucked me as the audience into what was the “dirty laundry” of their personal lives.

With a supporting cast including Andy Samberg, Allison Janney and others their characters mostly brought the comedy relief needed in to break the movie up.

They also gave us a contrast to the main relationship being shown which helped us recognise how some of the actions were exaggerated for our benefit. 

However, some critics online have noted that while it is undeniably a satirical dark comedy, the dark comedy seemed to be held back some times, therefore not always giving it the edge it needed.

I think that for a 15 certificate movie it had just the right amount to stretch over its wide audience.

Another criticism that The Roses received was that the contrast between the comedy and cruelty was sometimes so abrupt that it didn’t hit as hard as it could have.

At some points the comedy seemed out of place which almost gave the film a sort of jarring feel as they changed between the emotions.

The ending is ambiguous which can have mixed reactions from the audience.

Some may like to have the movie tied up neatly at the end whereas others like that they can believe what they want to believe.

I am the latter in the case of this movie as I enjoyed the fact that I could believe either the more macabre ending or not.  

To me the ending, without giving any spoilers, had me on the edge of my seat with a real 360 turn.

Again it had the perfect amount of shock factor and comedy which highlighted the overall tone throughout.

I felt that it drew the entire film together nicely especially with the ending performance from Coleman and Cumberbatch. 

The wait is over for Winchester’s burger lovers, as a new Five Guys restaurant has opened in the heart of the city centre.

The American burger chain, world famous for its customisable smash burgers and seemingly bottomless fries opened on Monday, December 2nd.

It was a soft launch without any ceremony for the restaurant, but the new staff and management immediately had a growing queue of customers on their hands.

Five Guys has taken one of three units from the former Debenhams department store. The other two are Nando’s which opened last month and Pizza Express.

Founded in Virginia in 1986, Five Guys launched in the UK in 2013 and has become a popular choice for burger lovers, including celebrities such as Tommy Fury, Mollie King, Ed Sheeran, and Maya Jama. 

There are now 1,800 restaurants worldwide including 171 in the UK. 

The new Winchester branch is expected to be a popular addition to the city’s food scene.

When you accidentally kill the Chosen One, would you pretend to be them instead of telling the truth?

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This was a wonderfully written dark comedy which subverted expectations, from the “chosen one” trope and stereotypical hero’s trio, to the zombie apocalypse storyline and coming of age genre.

The main character, Sue, already starts us off with turning things on their heads; she’s a middle aged IT worker who was born, raised, and now lives in her office.

All she knows and cares about is working in IT, despite how much her co-workers absolutely despise their lives.

But suddenly, a meteor crashes into earth, and Sue wakes up 18 months later to a zombie – sorry, undead – apocalypse.

She then accidentally takes the real “chosen one” off of life support and has to charade as them for the story, though she just wants to get back to her office.

Along her way, she meets Ted, who is a rather dim-witted undead, and Quinn, who is obsessed with murdering people.

Quinn’s character is one of the strongest in the musical, and her introductory number is filled with great comedic lines.

It’s also wonderful to see a woman take on not only the lead role in a zombie apocalypse (Sue), but also as the ‘brawn’ and bodyguard character in Quinn.

The villain, Colonel Chaos, is introduced extremely well, with a small build up before what is perhaps the best song in the show.

While still funny, the harmonies and overlapping melodies (which are beautiful throughout the show) create a fantastic number which really stands out.

However, as the narrative building up towards the climax does fall a bit weak, so does the villain, with some parts of the plot feeling a bit rushed or glossed over.

Of course, this is still a work in progress, and scenes were likely abridged for the audience’s sake, so this will hopefully be fixed with time.

The ending may feel anti-climactic for some, but I believe that a large-stakes fight would not suit this show, and instead, the ending focused on looking to the future and character growth for Sue is much more fitting.

The friendship between the main trio is very sweet, and I can see it being oddly comforting to the audience to watch them flourish and support each other.

The comedy is mostly very strong, it flows well and despite very few props (just a few different hats, masks and a vial) the group included some physical comedy when performing which really elevated the overall tone.

However, I did find some of the jokes outdated or awkward, such as some of the more obvious sexual innuendo or references to pop culture or memes that have been overused or ‘dead’ on social media for a while.

I also currently don’t see many ways to actually stage this show, as it both seems to need very complex sets and almost nothing on stage at all.

Perhaps something similar to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time may work, with more abstract staging combined with many props would work in this case.

I would also like to point out, especially, that the scene where Sue does finally return to her office only to find that she has grown as a person and can’t stay there anymore is particularly moving.

It is an ode to the bittersweet feeling that learning more about yourself and changing for the better can open you up to new opportunities and experiences, but can also make going back into comfort less… comfortable.

The line “please make sense in time” is simple but effective, telling the audience that even if you don’t understand your growth or your sudden discomfort at something that was once so familiar, it is okay, and the answers do not all have to come at once.

You are allowed to keep exploring, and you are also allowed to mourn the person you used to be.

Overall, for a show that started as a joke, “Chosen” breathes new life into what is typically an overdone genre with outdated tropes.

It lends itself to a lot of creativity, and it feels like a whole new story where you can explore the theme of identity, with a solid foundation of comedy.