The Roses had all the ingredients for a modern dark comedy classic: a brilliant cast, a sharp script, and a timely premise about marriage and ambition. And when it focuses on Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, it delivers.
Their chemistry is electric, their dialogue crackles, and their descent into pettiness is both hilarious and uncomfortably relatable. The final 25 minutes – where the Roses’ war finally ignites – are worth the wait, packed with clever sabotage and dark humor.
But here’s the rub: the film takes too long to get there. The first hour is a slow burn, bogged down by underwritten supporting characters and weak subplots. Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon, usually reliable for laughs, feel wasted in roles that are neither funny nor meaningful. The kids and friends are forgettable, and their rivalries or conflicts lack the bite needed to elevate the stakes.
Still, Cumberbatch and Colman make it worth watching. Their performances are so strong that you’ll forgive the film’s flaws… at least until the rushed, chaotic finale. The Roses is a watchable, often funny dark comedy, but it’s not as memorable as it could’ve been.
7/10: great leads, weak supporting cast, and a war that starts too late.
