As I find the notion of dwelling on the very idea of a studio remaking its own films to be tedious, the more important thought I have concerns what’s being done to keep the main thrust of the story relevant. Remaking 1989’s The War of the Roses (based on the 1981 novel by Warren Adler) could speak to the times differently compared to then. While that film focused on 80s capitalism and the conventions of a typical American marriage turned entirely upside down, The Roses could work more as an indictment of gender roles, the concept of marriage in 2025, and other fitting thoughts regarding relationships today. With all of that in mind, while weak on the satirical side of things, The Roses is still very funny, with plenty of bite. It manages to not be afraid of how far it’s willing to go, even when considering how likable our central pairing is, despite the acidic fronts they put up against each other.
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Theo Rose, a hotshot architect who instantly falls in love with Olivia Colman’s Ivy, an up-and-coming restaurateur, during a chance meeting. Soon enough, the two are living in Northern California together, married, with two kids. A major storm hits one night, causing disaster for a newly opened building designed by Theo, which will be detrimental to his career, while business for a new seafood restaurant Ivy has opened begins to shoot up in popularity. Roles then switch, as Theo becomes more invested in home life and raising the kids, while Ivy’s newfound popularity begins to keep her away from seeing her family. As resentment grows between the couple, it ultimately manifests in treachery and dangerous behavior rooted in toxic feelings. But could love still exist somewhere deep inside of both of them?
See Also: ‘Splitsville’ Review: Motion to Laugh Sustained
If there’s one clear issue I have with an otherwise largely effective movie, it’s the kind of charisma and screen energy Cumberbatch and Colman have that makes it very hard to find either of them seriously evil. Even when considering some drastic actions taken, there’s almost no room for me to feel true animosity being at play here. Something Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner could do back in their day was sell a certain sense of maliciousness that comes from being the imposing figures they’ve built their leading star careers on. The Roses can’t really get away with the same thing, so it must rely on broader elements and set pieces to go along with the caustic wit stemming from the dialogue in Tony McNamara’s (Poor Things, The Favorite) screenplay.
Being directed by Jay Roach (Meet the Parents, the Austin Powers films), it does make one believe The Roses will be more lighthearted and lean even harder on the inherent silliness that comes with the more cartoony portrayals of this film’s reality. The extended supporting cast speaks to this. Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney, Jamie Demetriou, Zoe Chao, Ncuti Gatwa, and Sunita Mani don’t all get a ton to do, but there is nothing more to any of these people, beyond excuses to find new avenues for jokes, based on their character types.
Plenty of scenes involving some combination of these characters are amusing. A scene involving the lawyer characters played by Samberg and Janney is certainly one highlight. Demetriou may actually steal some of the movie based on some of the asides he manages to pull out related to being a fellow architect. That said, the film is never funnier than when Colman and Cumberbatch are put together and pulling out the stops by way of passive-aggressive insults, their dry British humor, and other all-out attacks on each other and the world around them, which they share similar bitterness toward. While the movie ramps up toward a finale that implies real violence may be waiting in the wings, it’s these quieter moments that truly hit the hardest in terms of insulting low blows.
The film’s decision to give the audience a longer look at the marriage, before things fall apart, puts the plotting on somewhat shaky ground. The original only has so much time to get us on board with the Roses before the battle begins. This film takes a lot of time to focus on understanding Theo and Ivy’s tremendous chemistry before putting us into more dangerous territory. I, frankly, had a lot of fun with the Roses as a couple who clearly had issues, but would maybe be able to work them out if they tried. As the film builds toward reveling in a sense of meanness (but more in the prankster sort of way), I couldn’t help but think of how much I wanted to root against the idea of either of these two going too far, which ultimately does feel at odds with the point of movie, as if Roach and McNamara were also on opposing ends of how to best handle things.
Still, I was entertained throughout, more than expected. Being a remake, I appreciated the balance here as a way to upset certain expectations, while calling back to many elements of the past. Yes, the desire to both live up to the former and steer in a different direction can become a challenge. Still, I suppose the amount of wit in the screenplay and having performers up to the task ultimately made this effort quite worthwhile. Plus, the film doesn’t back away in areas that I was worried it might. Sure, the road we take to get to certain points comes with altered context, but that doesn’t mean this war between Roses never stays too safe. Fortunately, it also packs in a lot of good laughs.
The War of the Roses opens in theaters on August 29, 2025.
