The Roses spoilers follow.
Though it may have some boisterous comedic set pieces, The Roses certainly had a darker and more biting edge to its content. But as the popular film proves to be a hit on Disney+, what did its ending mean?
The film, an adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel The War of the Roses, follows married couple Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Ivy Rose (Olivia Colman) as they gradually begin to loathe each other.
With the stakes increasing as the pair go to extreme lengths to one-up the other, the conclusion sees the pair declare their love for each other following a fiery encounter – only for the screen to cut to white as a gas explosion presumably takes place.
With the ending having a certain amount of ambiguity to it, there has been much talk if Theo and Ivy managed to survive, with the leading stars as well as director Jay Roach and screenwriter Tony McNamara offering their thoughts on the conclusion.
“They definitely have a very happy life, and they never fight again,” quipped Colman to Entertainment Weekly. “They probably buy a little fishing boat. And they go out and they spend time where they’re just together on the sea.”
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
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“Because they’ve gone quite that far, you’d really have to put some safeguarding in place,” added Cumberbatch. “They would definitely need to go back into therapy properly and admit their failings and go, ‘Okay, we got it wrong, but we’ve got something we want to save.’
“They need something that’s completely their own that they share, which could be a dog. They’re sharing that [and the] really nice house. They’re quite materialistic. Maybe they just never use the kitchen ever again.”
Roach, who is best known for Meet the Parents, said that the ending had a poignant message at its heart, explaining: “I hope everybody walks out going, ‘They almost figured that out. They were just this far off.’
Searchlight Pictures
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“I love how cautionary tale that feels. That you may figure it out, but it might be too late… It’s that cascading thing that when you make the wrong choice, it could lead to several other disastrous things.”
Released in cinemas in August, The Roses was added to streaming service Disney+ earlier this week, and it has proved to be a success with viewers after reaching #4 in the streamer’s chart.
The Roses is streaming now on Disney+.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. Â His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
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