The Roses (2025)

[BluBonnet]

- Fit and immerse me into the world and the character they embody.
- Elevate the material they are given.
- Elevate the lead performances (and not get in the way).
- Elicit intended emotions from me.
- Draw me into their appearances when they occur.

The supporting cast here does all of that.

Andy Samberg is much better than you'd expect him in a "straight man" role that somehow has to navigate all of the lunacy around him. Kate McKinnon provides great comic relief and very much has some serious "Northern California" vibes that fit in well with the picture. Allison Janney is a knockout as one of the lawyers involved (and you gotta love her dog). Sunita Mani is just as good as you'd expect despite relatively little screen time (and a hilarious freezer scene). Ncuti Gatwa - in one of his first major roles after hanging up his Doctor Who coat - is ever so delightfully saucy, just as you'd expect. Zoë Chao has some memorable lines and delivers them with pitch-perfect conviction.

I've always been a huge fan of The War of the Roses, but truthfully this adaptation has a much better supporting cast.