What happens when “happily ever after” begins to unravel—beautifully, bitterly, and with biting wit? From director Jay Roach (Bombshell, Trumbo) and screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Favourite, Poor Things) comes The Roses, a darkly hilarious and emotionally charged reimagining of the 1989 classic The War of the Roses.
Inspired by Warren Adler’s original novel, this updated take dissects the collapse of a seemingly perfect marriage, with two of Britain’s most celebrated actors at the center of the storm.
Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch star as Ivy and Theo Rose, a couple who seem to have it all—chic townhouse, successful careers, bright kids, and a flawless Instagram-ready life. But when Theo’s star begins to fade just as Ivy’s ambitions explode into the spotlight, what was once a partnership of equals turns into a high-stakes game of psychological (and emotional) warfare.
Their unraveling is brutal, hilarious, and disturbingly relatable.
As power dynamics shift and years of resentment bubble to the surface, the Roses descend into a battle royale that pulls no punches. Think artfully smashed crockery, weaponized wit, and enough passive-aggressive tension to shatter a glasshouse. Watch below:
The stellar ensemble cast includes Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Belinda Bromilow, Sunita Mani, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao, and Kate McKinnon, each playing friends, lawyers, colleagues, and enablers caught in the blast zone of the Roses’ implosion.
With Roach’s sharp directorial eye and McNamara’s acidic, award-winning dialogue, The Roses updates the tale for the age of social media perfection, shifting gender roles, and the increasingly blurred line between love and competition. It’s a cautionary tale, a comedy of manners, and a domestic horror story rolled into one.
The original The War of the Roses (1989), directed by Danny DeVito and based on Warren Adler’s novel, earned its reputation as one of the darkest black comedies of its era. What began as a seemingly perfect marriage between Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver Rose (Michael Douglas) devolved into a vicious, unrelenting war of escalating revenge, with no one spared—not even the family pets.
Its biting tone, brutal physical comedy, and nihilistic finale shocked audiences and critics alike, cementing the film as a cult classic that pushed the boundaries of how far a “divorce comedy” could go. If The Roses follows in its footsteps, viewers should brace themselves for a satirical descent into chaos, where love curdles into something far more primal.
The Roses hits theaters August 29, and is already generating early awards-season buzz for Colman and Cumberbatch, whose on-screen chemistry burns as hot as their characters’ animosity.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
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