All's fair when love is war. In "The Roses," Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star as a picture-perfect couple whose seemingly bulletproof marriage starts to combust in spectacular fashion. The dream team of Cumberbatch and Colman, their relationship going down in flames? Believe it, because it's one of the season’s juicier dark comedies out in heaters right now.
Director Jay Roach put together this intriguing remake of the 1989 film (based on the novel of the same name) "The War of the Roses," which starred Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. This modern retelling features supporting cast members like Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon and Allison Janney, all surrounding the couple who thinks they can fix their marriage, but who aren't quite sure it's going to happen for them.
Not in the mood for a packed auditorium and want to see the drama play out at home? Totally fair. “The Roses” will eventually make its way to digital and streaming after its theatrical run. There's just one catch: There's no official at-home streaming date yet. Not to worry, we've made an educated guess as to when you might be able to watch it from your couch in the coming weeks.
When can we expect 'The Roses' streaming release?
"The Roses" just opened in theaters on Aug. 29, 2025, so for now, it’s theaters only and there isn’t an official at-home date yet. But that doesn't mean we can't do a little forward-looking.
Here’s the good news if you prefer the comfort of your own couch. Given what we know about Searchlight Pictures' release-timing schedule, we know "The Roses" will likely head to Hulu and/or Disney Plus since Disney owns the studio. A recent Searchlight release, "A Complete Unknown," hit digital about two months after the movie's theatrical tour. It then arrived on Hulu about three months afterward, so we can surmise similar timing will likely happen here.
That points to a digital purchase or rental window between the last week of September and the second week of October, which tracks with current post-theatrical patterns.
After the PVOD window, streaming should follow on Hulu, since "The Roses" is more adult-friendly fare than what we typically see added to Disney Plus. That will likely be roughly 45 to 60 days after the theatrical premiere, which puts late October into early November in play, depending on how long the movie holds screens.
Until then, consider a rewatch of the 1989 original "War of the Roses" to set the mood before Ivy and Theo’s modern meltdown hits streaming.
What is 'The Roses' about?
Ivy and Theo Rose (Colman and Cumberbatch) look like the couple you’d put on a real estate brochure. They have a beautiful house, thriving careers, great kids, and everything they could seemingly ever want. Then Theo's work stalls. Ivy's surges. That means they aren't equal anymore, and their roles inside the home shift. And that changes everything.
Theo is a star architect trying to salvage his reputation, while Ivy is a gifted chef who finally has momentum. But that kind of competition doesn't bode well for the couple, who both end up holding resentment for the other in a variety of ways, even as they try a romantic trip to New York, counseling and every other option possible to make a change.
The little digs at each other that they once laughed off morph into real insults, and their verbal sparring turns into clear and palpable annoyance and even hatred for each other.
This black comedy is all about how they'll come back together again, or if they even will. Once you devolve into this kind of disdain for your partner, it's hard to come back from, but this is a romantic movie after all, so you can expect a touch of sweetness among the gray.
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