Review of The Roses 2025

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.