The War of the Roses
The brief
Danny DeVito directs this pitch-black divorce comedy like a horror movie where the monster is marital resentment, watching Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner tear each other apart with escalating creative cruelty over their dream house. What starts as familiar relationship squabbling quickly spirals into genuinely disturbing psychological warfare, with both actors leaning hard into making their characters utterly unsympathetic yet darkly fascinating to watch. DeVito finds the perfect tone between absurd slapstick and genuine menace, making you laugh at moments that should probably horrify you. Perfect for anyone who thought Marriage Story needed more physical violence and fewer sympathetic characters.
The verdict
If you enjoy pitch-black comedy that finds humor in genuinely disturbing behavior and can laugh at truly unsympathetic characters destroying each other, this is a brilliantly twisted gem that balances absurd slapstick with real menace. If you prefer your comedies lighthearted or need to root for at least one character, skip this deeply cynical dive into marital warfare that treats psychological cruelty as entertainment.
Watch with
- 👫 Couples who can laugh at relationship chaos
- 👥 Friends who appreciate dark humor
- ⚠️ Avoid if going through divorce
Heads up
- Domestic violence and psychological abuse (frequent)
- Property destruction and vandalism (moderate)
- Disturbing escalation of marital conflict (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Danny DeVito
- Cast
- Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Marianne Sägebrecht, Sean Astin, Heather Fairfield, G.D. Spradlin
Official synopsis
Barbara and Oliver Rose live happily as a married couple. When Barbara starts to wonder what life would be
