The Roses (A PopEntertainment.com Movie Review)

PopEntertainment
Aug 27
3 min read

THE ROSES (2025)

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney, Belinda Bromilow, Sunita Mani, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao, Hala Finley, Akie Kotabe, Delaney Quinn, Hala Finley, Ollie Robinson, Wells Rappaport, Will Smith, Caroline Partridge, Margaret Clunie, Ollie Dabbous, Emily Piggford and Paul Pape.

Screenplay by Tony McNamara.

Directed by Jay Roach.

Distributed by Searchlight Pictures. 105 minutes. Rated R.

There are certain movies which just should never be remade. The 1989 pitch-black comedy The War of the Roses, which was directed by Danny DeVito and starred Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as a couple in the middle of quite probably the most contentious divorce fight ever, always seemed like one of those untouchable films.

It’s not that the film’s ideas would not work in the modern world. It’s just that The War of the Roses pretty much nailed it, making the toxic characters somewhat sympathetic and being legitimately funny at the same time that it was completely horrifying. That is a very delicate balance, one that can be botched easily if not done with complete precision.

Still, I went into The Roses – which is “a reimagining of” The War of the Roses – with some cautious optimism. After all The Roses had a very capable cast and was written by the acclaimed screenwriter of Poor Things. Director Jay Roach has always been all over the map – he has made a few very good movies like the first Austin Powers movie, Recount, Game Change and Bombshell (politics seems to bring out the best in him). However, he’s also made even more absolutely horrible films, like the other two Austin Powers movies, the three (soon to be four) Meet the Fokkers movies and Dinner For Schmucks.

Well, that feeling of cautious optimism was quickly squelched. The Roses is – in a word – awful.

It takes the dark comedy of the original and removes both humor and the blackness. Not only that, but the film can also never settle on a consistent tone. Hell, they can’t even seem to answer the single most basic question here; does this couple really despise each other or do they really love each other but still often behave like assholes?

All you are left with is the toxic couple in the middle of the story. And frankly, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are way too accomplished as actors to waste their time and their talents on this movie and these characters.

Of course, they aren’t the only actors misused here. Former Saturday Night Live comic actors Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon are also seriously wasted. The charmingly brash Samberg is completely miscast as Mr. Rose’s nebbishy best friend and lawyer. (Although, in fairness, Samberg is responsible for delivering the one joke in this entire film which actually made me laugh.) McKinnon’s eccentric energy, which can be very funny in the right vehicle, feels completely out of place here.

In fact, of all of the terrific supporting actors wasted here – including Belinda Bromilow, Sunita Mani, Jamie Demetriou, and Zoë Chao – only Allison Janney comes out of this film looking good. Oh sure, her dialogue is just as bad as everyone else’s but at least she sold her one scene as a ruthless divorce lawyer. She was funny, even if what she was being made to say wasn’t necessarily all that humorous.

To give you an idea – yet another one – of the simple wrongheadedness of The Roses, an early promo for the movie used the tagline that you “Can’t spell marriage without rage.” Ummm, “rage” is not a part of the word “marriage.” “Riage” is, I guess, but that isn’t a word. Didn’t they even notice the “I” in there? Or did they just not care and figured that no one would call them on the fact that they were wrong? All of this for what was a pretty weak pun, anyway.

And yet, it is that kind of tortured logic that drives The Roses. Drives it into the ground. For a good time, forget The Roses, and just track down the original The War of the Roses.

Jay S. Jacobs