Michael Douglas Calls This Movie Wonderfully Sick and You Won’t Believe Why

Michael Douglas once highlighted a specific black comedy that, in his view, perfectly captured the deranged and chaotic nature of a failing marriage. During a discussion with Entertainment Weekly, he brought up a film that didn’t just aim for laughs but intentionally pushed the audience toward a feeling of deep discomfort.

That movie was The War of the Roses, a 1989 production directed by Danny DeVito that serves as a visceral exploration of a divorce turning deadly. The film stars Douglas alongside Kathleen Turner as the Roses, a couple whose lives transition from a romantic ideal into a savage battle for control of their home.

As their bond dissolves, the story moves into territory that is both darkly humorous and emotionally devastating, illustrating how easily love can morph into something genuinely dangerous. While the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer explored similar themes a decade prior, this movie opted for a much more cynical and unapologetic approach to the end of a relationship.

When he first encountered the script, Douglas admitted to being skeptical about whether a major studio would actually allow such a provocative ending to remain intact. He recalled asking DeVito if they would be forced to change the conclusion, but the director remained committed to the story’s grim and honest core.

Douglas noted that DeVito possesses a dark, sick sense of humour and successfully managed to keep the film true to its raw origins. The movie’s depiction of a couple’s fall from grace was notable for its sheer intensity and refusal to provide a standard happy ending.

It stood in stark contrast to the typical Hollywood romance, choosing instead to shine a light on the brutal realities that many couples face when their shared history becomes a weapon. This daring narrative style eventually helped set the stage for later acclaimed divorce dramas, such as the 2019 film Marriage Story.

While Douglas has a vast catalog of iconic hits, The War of the Roses remains one of the more unique and perhaps underappreciated entries in his filmography. Even as he received an honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes, most observers focused on his more mainstream successes rather than this specific piece of dark satire.

As of February 2026, the 81-year-old actor has moved into a period of semi-retirement, recently stating that he has no real intentions of returning to a film set unless a truly extraordinary role appears.

He has spent much of the last year traveling and enjoying time with his family, though he did recently appear at a film event in New York to reflect on his career. During that session, he shared a lighthearted story about Jack Nicholson teasing him for his hair acting during the production of Wall Street.

For those looking to see him on screen again, his most recent work can be found in the 2025 drama Looking Through Water, where he performed alongside his real-life son, Cameron Douglas.

The film centers on a man recalling a transformative fishing trip that helped mend fractured family ties and features a cast that includes David Morse and Walker Scobell. Aside from this, he has been vocal about the digital changes in the industry, suggesting that Silicon Valley is currently taking over and simplifying the art of filmmaking.

Do you believe the dark, cynical humor found in The War of the Roses still resonates with modern audiences, or has the way we view marriage and divorce changed too much since 1989? Share your thoughts in the comments.