The Roses

What’s it about?

Life's good for the Rose family – married couple Ivy and Theo have successful careers, great kids and the perfect relationship. But things turn hostile when one of them loses their job and the cracks begin to show.

The facts

• Directed by Jay Roach
• Stars Olivia Coleman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon
• English language
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Based on the novel The War of the Roses by Warren Adler.

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Violence

In a prolonged fight scene characters chase each other with weapons, a character is shot at, and another threatened with a knife.

Cruelty

Characters use cruelty to spite each other, such as sabotaging careers and destroying treasured belongings. The characters are verbally cruel to each other, including mocking someone’s sexual abilities and parenting.

Drug use

A character regularly smokes marijuana joints in scenes set in California, where it is legal. Sometimes she is visibly stoned and called out on it. On one occasion she asks her 13-year-old daughter not to tell her father.

Restaurant customers eat food laced with drugs and are shown “tripping” – dancing and taking their clothes off (no nudity shown).

Sexual material

Sex is implied after two characters kiss and move to another room and the scene cuts.

Another couple are interrupted having sex in a store cupboard. Both are clothed but his trousers are pulled down to reveal his buttocks.

There are lots of sexual references including “I came when I first tried it”, “dull sex”, “jizzing on the face of humanity”, “get me off first so I can sleep”, “shagging”, “doing me”, and “masturbation”.

An employee is accused of “blowing random truck divers”.

Offensive language

Offensive language is used frequently, mostly to add to the comedic tone of the film. It includes “f**k” and its derivatives, “ass”, “wanker”, “c**t”, “motherf**ker”, “dick”, “balls”, and “bullsh*t”.

Suicide references

There are several casual references to suicide, including when a character says a building would be a “good place to suicide from,” when a man leaves a meeting saying he doesn’t want to kill himself in front of his colleagues, and when children believe their father is suicidal. While intended to be comedic, these references may shock some viewers.

Youth Advisory Panel comments

We were thankful to have two members of our Youth Advisory Panel attend the screening.

They thought the strongest content was the two sex scenes, which they agreed are mild and inexplicit apart from the naked male buttocks. Otherwise, they noted the frequent offensive language, which they believed would need a warning. They thought it was aimed at adults, and that older rangatahi might watch it at a sleepover.

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?