Ivy and Theo (Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch), chef and architect, meet on a whim in the Michelin-grade kitchen where Ivy works, after Theo bursts in unannounced to blow off steam mid-meal. Disappointed and distressed that their superiors can’t see their minor geniuses—dehydrated blueberries and cascading garden balconies, respectively—they bond over a distrust of the old guard and an immediate hope in one another, one that blooms with the swift surreality of a time-lapsed flower reaching maturation in a minute flat. Before they leave the kitchen, they’re in love. But unbeknownst to them, the war of The Roses has begun.
Calling it a meet-cute wouldn’t be accurate. They don’t do “cute.” When it comes to Ivy and Theo, unapologetic audacity is the only road traveled, which makes for a beginning as explosive as the ending. “But we haven’t even had sex yet,” Ivy says suggestively, the two having only just exchanged names. “Well, that’s only minutes away,” returns Theo. The seemingly pre-programmed words tumble out of their mouths as if they were suddenly out of control, on existential autopilot, as surprised by what they’re saying as we are.
Soon after they meet, they leave the U.K. for California, where they take root and raise a couple kids. In the first phase of their life together, Theo rises through the ranks of the architecture world and Ivy shapes the children, as well as the family’s every meal, much to her pleasure. Opinionated, irreverent, and secure, even in the face of each other, the Roses possess an ebullience and resilience that slowly erodes (albeit, in hilarious fashion) under the rushing river of marriage management and child-rearing that comes to dominate their busying lives.
The cultural significance of Warren Adler’s The War Of The Roses bookended the 1980s with the release of his novel in ’81 and the Danny DeVito-directed film in ’89. In 2025, the book and movie might as well be historical artifacts, but the ghost of the story has stuck around. The tale of two embittered lovers going straight for the jugular carries across generations—it’s unfortunately supremely relatable. Modernized remake The Roses sits under the glass ceiling of the rom-com genre and walks on well-tread narrative territory. But, under Jay Roach’s measured direction, that’s not a problem. He gives the timeless story an original edge, never allowing a dull frame to slow the sharp film.
One can’t imagine Ivy and Theo together after the opening scene, a disastrous marriage counseling session that ends with the therapist swearing them off in the name of incurable resentment, self-righteousness, and defensiveness as the crumbling couple gangs up on the innocent clinician in a fit of delirious enablement. (In the therapist’s defense, the nicest thing either of them had to say about each other was, “He has arms.”) A dark, organ-reeling jazz jam propels the sequence, a tonal harbinger of the passion and ferocity to come and a bellwether for the film’s terrific taste in music, both in Severance composer Theodore Shapiro’s score and the inspired indie-folk soundtrack.
However, it’s also almost impossible to imagine the pair apart after the first hour of inimitable chemistry and pitch-black comedy charm. Things finally go awry when Theo’s attempt at a masterpiece—a maritime museum in the shape of a large sailing vessel—opens on the same night an unparalleled storm hits the bay. But the storm also gives way to a new opportunity for Ivy. In the second act, the couple’s dynamic flips, and she’s the globetrotting careerist to Theo’s stay-at-home dad. Eventually, they each get the opportunity to fund the others’ dreams, and they do. But it’s still not enough. The tides turn practically overnight, and the sudden desperation for divorce begets an avalanche of life-ruining sabotage.
Supporting them are Kate McKinnon and Andy Samberg (American friends, met at a gun range) in career-best bit parts: A bizarro, kinky-sad, nothing-to-lose, overfamiliar type for the former—an equal blend of Sheila Sovage, Debette Goldry, and Kathryn Hahn in Step Brothers—and an obliviously overconfident dude-bro for the latter. But, instead of an unhinged couple in their 20s or 30s, they’ve adapted their mode to the disillusionment of 40-somethings sunk up to the eyes in suburban suppression. Allison Janney takes a terse turn as an unbearable divorce lawyer, while Ncuti Gatwa and Sunita Mani stand out among the rest of the stacked cast.
Roach—the wunderkind studio comedy director (the Austin Powers trilogy, Meet The Parents and Fockers) turned historical dramatist (Trumbo, Bombshell)—hasn’t delivered much of note in the last nine years. But he’s back with a bang in The Roses. There’s a rejuvenated spirit to his pace and craft that stems from a now-veteran wisdom and the fresh collaboration with screenwriter Tony McNamara, who’s had enormous success in film, alongside Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, Poor Things, Cruella), and TV (The Great), since 2018.
Having written a much looser and sharper-tongued Colman character in The Favourite—which is saying a lot, considering Ivy names her dainty seafood shack “We’ve Got Crabs!”—McNamara precisely pens her role, while Colman winks, flirts, punches, swings, and sings right in her comfort zone. To make the rich richer, it turns out Cumberbatch is McNamara’s male Colman. The wit and restraint behind his interpretation of the driven-husband-turned-superdad is grounded in this same script-star chemistry. As a result, the leads are magnets, whether they’re surgically picking each other apart with the cruelty of Caligula or steaming up a seductive romance. Their remarkable rapport makes The Roses essential viewing, a must-watch rom-com.
Director: Jay Roach
Writer: Tony McNamara
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon
Release Date: August 29, 2025
