Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman Trade Insults in a Modern Marriage War Via 'The Roses'

"If Charles Manson invited me on a picnic, and if you invited me on a picnic…I'd go with Charlie."

Acerbic one-liners and witty dialogue between two hysterical leads give the most recent comedy of 2025 a much-needed lift. "The Roses," the latest adaptation of "The War of the Roses," stars Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch as fighting spouses on the verge of divorce. However, this newest iteration, made famous by Danny DeVito's 1989 rendition starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, contains too many characters and disastrous jealousy, making for a fun yet complicated time at the movies. 

Colman and Cumberbatch star as Ivy and Theo Rose, hopeless romantics who meet at a restaurant, get married, have two adorable children, and live a seemingly idyllic existence together across the pond in America. Two Brits raising their children in a gun-toting, capitalist society, Ivy and Theo are two sexually-charged individuals with heavy goals and even heavier ambitions. Ivy enjoys her life as a stay-at-home mother, but she has always dreamed of opening her own restaurant as head chef. Meanwhile, Theo is a thriving architect whose latest design might catapult him to the top of his field.

Theo insists on Ivy living out her dreams, so she opens a crab shack on the beach to little fanfare. Her ne'er-do-well lifestyle and endless delicious creations don't mind that the restaurant is failing, giving her more time to smoke pot and fraternize with her younger employees. But fate has a funny way of thrusting itself onto The Roses when a freak storm simultaneously destroys Theo's newest building while also bringing stranded tourists and residents to Ivy's restaurant for shelter.

In one foul swoop, Theo's dreams are crushed and Ivy's restaurant is a booming success. A change of pace for the once-happy couple, Theo becomes envious of Ivy's newfound ambition as he steps into the role of stay-at-home dad to two teenagers. Ivy goes on luxurious business trips most of the time, and Theo becomes increasingly bitter towards his spouse as he turns their children into exercise robots, hellbent on securing them athletic scholarships to elite institutions.

What makes "The Roses" a palatable film to watch is the endless banter and not-so-subtle digs between Ivy and Theo, due in large part to screenwriter Tony McNamara's ("The Favourite") whip-smart writing. Growing resentment between the two manifests in passive-aggressive behavior that becomes not only physically destructive but also emotionally hurtful. There are times when these two are perfect for one another, while at other times it is apparent that their relationship cannot stand the test of time.

What "The Roses" doesn't do right is its absurd expansion to the cast, bringing in extraneous characters that add very little to the premise. Just when the audience is on the floor laughing at every critical remark that comes out of Colman or Cumberbatch's mouth, here comes "Saturday Night Live" veteran Kate McKinnon as a horny acquaintance who tries to get into Theo's pants every chance she gets. Andy Samberg, Zoe Chao, comedian Jamie Demetriou, Ncuti Gatwa, and others are thrown into the mix as friends and employees of the married couple to shake things up from a seemingly "normal person's" perspective. Great actors, indeed; however, too much is simply too much sometimes, and these characters add a microscopic perspective while taking the plot of the film away from the central premise we've come to enjoy between the bickering couple.

The one addition to the cast that makes for some scene-stealing moments is the always-reliable Allison Janney, who plays a divorce lawyer who spars with Samberg in a heated sequence. Ivy and Theo might either kill one another before a divorce comes to fruition, but Janney makes the case for a short cameo performance worth its weight in hilarity and confidence.

Yet, the reason to watch "The Roses" is for Colman and Cumberbatch, who are at the peak of their comedy game here. One would think that every swipe and jab that these two take at one another could get old over the course of a two-hour film, but the two actors keep the audience guessing. Their shallow characters deepen as battles become more violent and bonkers, signifying a commentary on marriage and the dissolution of a relationship leveled in absurdity.

A fine adaptation that grows stronger as resentment and extravagant set pieces seem to develop alongside it.