What’s Hailey watching? The Roses (2025)
“For you dear, I’d do anything.” – Theo Rose, The Roses.
If you’re looking for a slapstick comedy mixed with marital strife, The Roses is the movie for you. This story follows the couple, Ivy and Theo Rose, as they struggle to keep their marriage together and their love alive in their hearts. Despite the generalized sadness of that situation, the movie is portrayed in a more lighthearted manner, with the couple teasing and joking with one another in an angry passion. The Roses was released in August of 2025 and was based on the 1981 novel The War of Roses by Warren Adler.
The main conflict in the movie arises when world-renowned architect Theo’s new building comes crumbling down. He has been made a mockery of online and in the architecture business. At the very exact moment, Ivy gets a glowing review of her new restaurant, and business starts to take off. Everyone wants to eat Ivy’s food. One partner falls, and the other takes off soaring. Ivy tries her best to comfort Theo about his massive failure, but struggles to do so with all the newfound attention on her restaurant. They decide that something needs to change; Ivy steps into the role as the breadwinner, and Theo stays home to take care of the kids and manage the household. Soon, the couple started to resent each other. Theo is jealous of Ivy’s fame and fortune, and Ivy is sick of Theo moping over his crushed building. They decided to seek advice from a couples counselor, and simply put, the therapist says, “I don’t think you have the capacity to fix your problems.” Of course, the Roses see this as a hilarious prank and laugh all their worries away, leaving the appointment discussing how they’re just fine. In an attempt to amend their relationship, Ivy suggests that Theo build them a beautiful new home, allowing him to return to architecture, and she can fund it with the money from her chain restaurant. It may seem like a perfect plan in theory; however, it only causes the couple to descend into more chaos. Theo comes to the realization that they have fallen out of love and are only hurting each other further. A divorce is filed, and Theo and Ivy go to war. Back-and-forth torment lasts for weeks. Their story ends in a shambles of a near murder-homicide, but with a revelation of true love. Theo and Ivy truly do love one another til death do they part.
I enjoyed virtually every aspect of this movie. From its depiction of the imbalance of success in a relationship to the battle of wits, The Roses is a well-rounded film. I enjoyed this movie because it presented real-life issues in a humorous, relatable manner. It may not be the most accurate portrayal of a marriage; however, many aspects of Theo and Ivy’s relationship can be applied to real life. The jealousy, the struggle to stay together, and the feeling of being left behind are all themes that can be connected to each other. Another reason why I liked this movie is that the acting was phenomenal. I was taken on a rollercoaster of emotions due to the actors’ compatibility and the effort they put into these roles. I was laughing, crying, and sometimes deeply uncomfortable. The Roses make the watcher feel something, and that is a talent that should not go unheard.
Whether you decided to watch The Roses for a good laugh or for a peek into married life, according to Hailey, this movie is a solid 8/10.
