Episode 100: The Roses

The Roses is a 2025 satirical dark comedy–drama directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents, Bombshell) and written by Tony McNamara (The Favourite, The Great). It is a modern reimagining of The War of the Roses, based on Warren Adler’s 1981 novel and the 1989 film adaptation.

• Olivia Colman as Ivy Rose — a restaurateur whose career blossoms.

• Benedict Cumberbatch as Theo Rose — an architect whose career falters.

• Supporting cast: Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney, Sunita Mani, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, and Zoë Chao.

• 00:32 — Intro & Guest Michael welcomes back contributor Tarek Fayoumi (Movies with Tarek, Positively Naperville, Movie Archer).

• 00:59 — Film Background Setting the stage: how The Roses reimagines The War of the Roses and where it sits in Jay Roach’s career.

• 02:47 — Themes Discussion of marriage, ambition, toxic competitiveness, and the cultural obsession with success.

• 05:12 — Performances Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch praised for layered portrayals; how their acting makes satire both biting and human.

• 09:45 — Ending Without spoilers, the group highlights the fiery, symbolic finale and how it compares to the 1989 version.

• 24:17 — Verdicts & Ratings

• 45:25 — Cinematography & Craft Talk of Florian Hoffmeister’s naturalistic cinematography, the symbolic house design, and connections to films like This Is 40 and Parasite.