As a massive fan of Ethan Coen and his partner Tricia Cooke's last outing together that starred Margaret Qualley, Drive Away Dolls, I was pretty disappointed with Honey Don't! I might have set different expectations for the film, expecting the same level of fun and energy I experience with Drive Away Dolls, but instead got something I didn't expect, which might work for others. This slow-burning lesbian Columbo detective story, which tries to unravel a religious cult and drug operation while finding love with Aubrey Plaza, has its moments of classic Coen brothers shenanigans and wit. However, it was a flat and disjointed outing for Coen and Cooke, feeling instead thrown together. My ultimate feelings about the film are that I just watched a promising pilot of a prestige television episode that I'd love to continue checking out as it finds its voice and footing. Having weekly adventures with Qualley as she unravels the depravity underneath the surface of small-town America would be a joy, but as a film, I don't know if there's enough here to chew on.
Honey Don't! follows Honey O'Donahue (Margaret Qualley) as she investigates a woman who died in a fatal car accident, but had called her that day to be her client. Honey visits the woman's family home to discover that she belonged to the Four-Way Temple led by Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans). Reverand Devlin is involved in drug trafficking and sleeping with his young and impressionable congregation, trying to keep the heat off him from the authorities and possibly his French connections. While pursuing this woman's death, Honey begins a relationship with MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza) that's hot and heavy. Will Honey discover who is at the heart of this mysterious killing?
Margaret Qualley's performance is the standout here, and the neo-noir rhythm and impact she has on every hard-boiled sentence she drops is phenomenal. As she takes on this Chinatown Jack Gittes persona that's akin to an older time of classic crime, she holds her own as our protagonist and a modern and powerful lesbian lead. Her line delivery here is top-notch, and I was glued to what was going to come flying out next; she has a remarkable presence on screen. Chris Evans is chewing up each scene he gets as our charismatic douchebag reverend, who gets his own great sermon moment that I won't spoil. Still, he has definitely been watching some of those lower religious channels on cable for inspiration. I'm not sure if Aubrey Plaza was given the material to succeed here, as I found her character and the ending to be thin and a bit jarring, which meant I couldn't see myself attached to them in any capacity or the relationship she develops with Qualley. Charlie Day is also here and honestly loved his bits back and forth as the dumb cop who can't accept that Honey is a lesbian but continuously pursues her, nonetheless, a good bit!
The primary issue I have with Honey Don't! is the pacing. For a 90-minute film, it feels long, mainly because the parts don't quite connect, and the plot feels aimless at times. It can feel at times that Coen and Cooke had some half-baked ideas and wanted to shoot them and make the B-movie Noir, a style characterized by its low-budget production and often dark and gritty themes, of their dreams, but they didn't quite finish those ideas, and it's noticeable. I'm enjoying the small-town themes of isolation and desperation in small-town America, which are riddled with dark undertones, especially at night in bus stops. However, they didn't quite achieve their goal. It all felt like they played the hits of other noirs you've seen come before, but thought, why not just throw Margaret Qualley in there, and to be fair, that's not a bad idea. The direction here is quite lovely, as to be expected, and Ethan Coen has come to understand small-town America better than most, and his world-building and zany side characters always feel so real and leave a lasting impact on you.
I feel like at the end of Coen brother films or films of this ilk, we have a character go "Whoa, wasn't that wild and random and isn't that life?" and we don't get that here at the end, Honey Don't! But I couldn't help but feel like what was the point? I'm happy Coen, Cooke, and Co. get to continue their Lesbian B Movie trilogy and glad they are having a blast, and I will for sure be seated for their final outing when that comes out, but I'm hoping for something with a little bit more juice and tighter all around. Qualley keeps this from sinking, and some solid Coen and Cooke bits keep this at least fun.
Final Score: 5/10
Written by Kevin J. Pettit