‘The Roses’ Review: A Great Throwback to Comedies of Years’ Past

A film adaptation of Warren Adler’s novel, The War of the Roses, isn’t uncharted territory, with Danny DeVito adapting it in 1989. This time around, Poor Things writer Tony McNamara and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me director Jay Roach are teaming up to bring the source material to life in hilarious fashion. Read our The Roses review.

The Roses follows married couple Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch), who seemingly have a perfect marriage until their careers go the opposite trajectories, causing a years-long feud between the two that culminates in one of my favorite endings of the year. The film is absolutely deranged and romantic; it is quite simply a great time at the movies and feels like one from 20 years ago in the best way possible. It boasts an amazing cast that has dynamic chemistry with one another, featuring numerous hilarious scenes and a poignant message about finding your person; this is what I want out of my comedies at the movies. 

It’s no surprise I enjoyed this, given that director Jay Roach is a master of the comedic genre, having helmed such hilarious classics as the Austin Powers trilogy, Meet the Parents, and Meet the Fockers. In an age where we don’t get plenty of theatrical comedies, whenever we do get one, it feels like a breath of fresh air. When we get GREAT ones like this year’s Friendship, The Naked Gun, and The Roses, it feels damn near monumental.

I’ll be honest, the promotional material for this film did absolutely nothing for me. It seems that lately, many great films have been receiving abysmal trailers that misrepresent them, which deters audiences from taking a chance on them. It’s even affected this film and another that debuted this weekend. Both The Roses and Caught Stealing were made to look different from the finished result, and in doing so, the films did not manage to gross a combined $20M at the domestic box office. Which is a damn shame, considering both films are great experiences at the theater.

What makes The Roses work so well for me, aside from its hilarious script, is the cast. Not only do Cumberbatch and Colman have such an entertaining spousal banter, but EVERYBODY does. Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon (whom I usually find unfunny), Sunita Mani, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao, with a brief appearance from Allison Janney, are all hilarious together. Specifically, a dinner scene towards the climax of the film had me almost in tears from how hard I was laughing at all of these “friends” insulting and trying to one-up each other in a cordial setting. 

Ultimately, if you want an honest and hilarious examination of couples, please consider supporting this film. In another world, this would’ve dropped on Hulu, but I am so glad I got to sit in a packed Dolby auditorium and just laugh with strangers for 100 minutes. Great comedies are hard to come by, and they’re so crucial for a healthy box office environment. Not everything has to be a tentpole film; sometimes, you just want to watch Olivia Colman throw cake at her dinner guests while insulting them.

The Roses was directed by Jay Roach and written by Tony McNamara, based on the novel by Warren Adler. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Sunita Mani, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao, Allison Janney, Hala Finley, and Wells Rappaport. The film was distributed in theaters by Searchlight Pictures on August 29, 2025.

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