The Roses saw Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch delightfully insult each other for our entertainment as a married couple on the verge of divorce. Not everybody was entertained though as it's now been revealed to be the most-complained-about movie release of 2025.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has released its annual report today, revealing that 11 people contacted them to complain about The Roses. It was rated 15 for "strong sex references and language", with some complaints about the language, but most of the complains were about its "depiction of a woman's food allergy".
During the movie, Theo (Cumberbatch) intentionally gives his wife Ivy (Colman) raspberries knowing she's allergic. He then withholds an EpiPen to force her into signing divorce papers.
Related: The Roses criticised over "offensive" and "dangerous" sequence
"Complainants were concerned that the film made light of a serious condition that can potentially be lethal and that the depiction of the use of an EpiPen was incorrect," the BBFC stated.
"The BBFC does not require medical procedures in films to be portrayed accurately. However, this issue is highlighted in the extended content advice on our website to ensure audiences are informed in advance."
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The scene had already received criticism when The Roses was released in cinemas last August, with food allergy charity Natasha Allergy Research Foundation calling it "dangerous" and "offensive". "For people living with severe food allergies and their families this type of portrayal is not only triggering, but harmful," they added.
The Roses wasn't the only release of 2025 to receive complaints with Thunderbolts* and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery both receiving five complaints for "blasphemous" language and "the violence, gore and injury detail", respectively.
Related: Olivia Colman's "must-see" romance confirms UK release date
There were also some disappointed children and teenagers who complained to the BBFC after not being able to see Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle and Black Phone 2 in the cinema due to their BBFC ratings of 15 and 18, respectively.
A PG-rated trailer for The Housemaid was actually the most-complained-about release last year, with the BBFC receiving 25 complaints when it was shown before Wicked: For Good which is also rated PG.
"The BBFC is not involved in deciding which specific trailers are screened before a given film. Cinemas may not screen trailers that are rated higher than the main feature," the BBFC explained in its report.
The Roses is available to watch on Disney+.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
