The Labor Day holiday weekend marked a particularly sluggish period for the box office, with a horror film in its fourth week, "Weapons," reclaiming the top spot in North America. The weekend also saw a 50-year-old blockbuster, "Jaws," surprisingly outperform two new major studio releases: the crime comedy "Caught Stealing" and the marriage satire "The Roses." Overall, the four-day stretch generated roughly $86 million, representing a 19% decline from the previous year's holiday. This contributed to a disappointing end for the summer movie season, with domestic revenues concluding at $3.67 billion, a 0.2% decrease from 2024 and a significant 10.2% drop from 2023 figures.

Among the new entries, Searchlight's "The Roses," directed by Jay Roach and written by Tony McNamara, debuted in fifth place, earning $6.4 million over the weekend and an estimated $8 million through Labor Day. This film is a fresh take on Warren Adler’s novel "The War of the Roses," which previously inspired Danny DeVito’s 1989 dark comedy. McNamara initially had reservations about revisiting the "perfect film" but aimed to create a story more focused on the complexities of modern marriage, highlighting the verbal brilliance and intricate dynamics between spouses.

Starring Olivia Colman as Ivy Rose, a chef, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Theo Rose, an architect, "The Roses" delves into the unraveling of a seemingly well-matched couple. The narrative opens in couple's therapy, where Ivy and Theo exhibit a relationship fueled by biting repartee and mutually deprecating humor, initially mistaking their insults for affection. A flashback reveals their passionate meet-cute, having sex in a walk-in freezer shortly after meeting. Their lives progress, with Theo's career flourishing while Ivy raises their two children. However, a seismic shift occurs when Theo's architectural project collapses, coinciding with the boom of Ivy's crab shack. This reversal of fortunes, with Theo becoming a stay-at-home dad and Ivy a successful career woman, triggers intense jealousy and depression, leading to escalating conflict where they attempt to destroy each other under their custom-built home's roof.

The film explores themes of power shifts within marriage and the impact of professional identity, featuring a star-studded comedic supporting cast including Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon as friends with a cold bed, Allison Janney as a deadpan divorce lawyer, and Jamie Demetriou and Zoë Chao portraying a couple with simmering resentments. Cumberbatch described his role as a departure, allowing him to explore a character who is emotionally intuitive, impulsive, pragmatic, and capable of great depth of love, hurt, pain, and hatred. While critics offered mixed reviews, with a 64% Rotten Tomatoes score, audiences were fonder, giving the film a "B+" CinemaScore. Despite some feeling a lack of "spark" between Colman and Cumberbatch compared to the scorching chemistry of Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in the 1989 "War of the Roses," the film aims for a less belligerent "skirmish" rather than an all-out "war," offering a sweeter, albeit still biting, exploration of marital strife.

Sony’s crime comedy "Caught Stealing," directed by Darren Aronofsky, landed at No. 3, grossing $7.8 million over the traditional weekend and an estimated $9.5 million over the four-day holiday frame. This marks a radical departure for Aronofsky, known for intense psychological works, as he presents a gritty crime thriller reminiscent of the Safdie brothers. Austin Butler captivates as Hank Thompson, a washed-up New York bartender whose agreement to cat-sit for his neighbor, played by Matt Smith, spirals into a wild chase involving gangsters. The ensemble cast also features Liev Schreiber, Regina King, and a memorable turn from pop star Bad Bunny. Critics received the film positively, earning an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, but moviegoers were less enthusiastic, giving it a "B" CinemaScore. Analysts described its $40 million budget start as "good-not-great," citing the crowded crime thriller genre as a challenge.

Meanwhile, Macon Blair's reboot of "The Toxic Avenger," a new take on Troma's scrappy 1980s trash-horror cult classic, presented a mostly middling outcome. Starring Peter Dinklage as Winston Gooze, a widowed janitor mutated after a toxic accident, the film features stunt performer Luisa Guerreiro in the monster suit while Dinklage provides the voice. Jacob Tremblay shines as Winston’s teenage son, Wade, and Kevin Bacon portrays the cartoonishly evil corporate villain. Despite its impressive cast, the film often stumbled, aiming to be a sharp spoof of superhero adventures but delivering jokes that landed sporadically and comically bad scares. It was ultimately described as "not a total disaster, but a mostly middling reboot."

Other films in the top five included the horror movie "Weapons," which brought in $10.2 million over the weekend and $12.4 million through Monday, pushing its total domestic gross to $134.6 million and global to $250 million. The 50th anniversary re-release of "Jaws" surprised many by taking second place with $8.1 million over the weekend and $9.8 million through Monday, proving the enduring appeal of the classic. Disney's sequel "Freakier Friday" secured fourth place, earning $6.5 million over the weekend and $8.3 million across the four-day holiday, bringing its domestic gross to over $80 million and global haul to $130 million.