Honey Don't!

No matter how many elements a filmmaker may get right in creating a movie, none of them means anything if they're not set within a coherent cinematic context, either thematically or in terms of the picture's central narrative. And, regrettably, that's the problem that plagues the second solo narrative feature outing from writer-director Ethan Coen. This pulpy comedy-drama-crime thriller, which follows the exploits of flamboyant, perpetually "thirsty" small town private detective Honey O'Donahue (Margaret Qualley) in her investigation of a series of unsolved murders apparently tied to mysterious church, successfully incorporates an array of truly captivating qualities - colorful character development, fine performances (particularly by Qualley and in the supporting portrayals of Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans and Charlie Day), a well-crafted production design and a collection of knock-it-out-of-the-park one-liners. In fact, about the only thing that's missing here is a solid, comprehensible story. The picture's disjointed jumble of plot threads - many of them underdeveloped and/or extraneous - meanders along for roughly 90 minutes without ever really going anywhere or saying anything relevant or meaningful. To be sure, "Honey Don't!" has its share of genuinely enjoyable moments, but a handful of modestly memorable instances does not a movie make. And that's unfortunate, given that it seems the picture has many of the ingredients for what could have potentially been an outlandishly funny, wickedly engaging tale. Instead, viewers are left with a plot that aimlessly roams from tangent to tangent and never seems to coalesce into something substantial or integrated, no matter how visually appealing it might be or how effective it is in tickling one's funny bone. And, when the film comes up lacking in this regard, it often falls back on titillating sequences driven by graphic sexuality or edgy violence to shore up its obvious deficiencies, a rather cheap and cheesy way to try and revive sagging audience interest. In that sense, then, this production reminds me very much of the films of such directors as Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson, whose releases, in my view, are often long on style and woefully short on substance. I find all of this rather disappointing, especially in light of Coen's filmography over the years, particularly his many successful productions with his brother Joel. But perhaps that's the key ingredient that's missing here - the collaboration of the two siblings working together to produce truly outstanding works of cinema (and, thankfully, a reunion of the two is said to be in development). Whatever the case, though, it appears the filmmaker's sophomore attempt at working on his own has not yet yielded cinema of the caliber that he's capable of. Let's hope that changes with his next project.

I just finished watching Honey Don't, and honestly, I left the theater scratching my head. The whole experience was a strange mix of sad, pointless, and-if I'm being blunt-sometimes flat-out boring. It felt like the film was trying to say something profound, but the tone was so off that it missed its mark entirely.

I truly don't know what audience they were aiming for. Too heavy-handed to be light drama, too scattered to be meaningful, and too dull to be entertaining. Characters drifted through scenes without much purpose, and while the story had the bones of something emotional, it never built to anything worth caring about.

The pacing didn't help either. There were long stretches where I caught myself checking the time, waiting for something-anything-to happen. Instead, it kept circling back to the same dreary mood that never paid off.

In the end, I can see why the studio released this movie in the dead zone of late August, right before Labor Day weekend. It feels like one of those "let's just get it out there and move on" kind of releases. Honey Don't isn't the worst film I've ever seen, but it's definitely one I won't be remembering-or recommending-anytime soon.

I thought this movie was absolutely fantastic, that I was watching something truly great and original: a modern-day noir with a great star performance at its center, a top-notch supporting cast, crackling dialogue, and perfect art direction. But it also contains lots over-the-top violence and unapologetic lesbian sex scenes. It certainly had my attention! Then it just abruptly ended with nothing resolved! What happened? What was the point? This was when we needed the old studio system where the producer would step in and demand rewrites and shooting additional footage that clarified things. This was a heartbreakingly wasted opportunity to do something great. Up until the "ending," I was ready to rate this one at least an 8, but I'm being kind to give it a 5. Sad. HONEY DON'T could have been great.

Honey Don't (2025) is a neo-noir dark comedy detective movie written and directed by Ethan Coen of the Coen Brothers, it is the second entry in the lesbian B-movie trilogy and it tells the story of a private investigator searching for the killer of several murders that could be tied to a religious church. This was a movie I was excited for since I'm a massive fan of the Coen Brothers, but it is sad for me to say this movie was just okay.

Positives for Honey Don't (2025): The movie does have an interesting premise of this young private investigator searching for the killer while also having to deal with a detective who refuses to believe that she is a lesbian. Margaret Qualley does a great job as Honey O'Donahue and she is one of the reason to watch this movie. I did enjoy the the supporting cast with Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day, Kristen Connolly, Billy Eichner, Gabby Beans and Talia Ryder. The main murder mystery is interesting at first with its ties to this church headed by Chris Evans. You still get that Coen western vibe that Ethan and his brother Joel have done very well together. And finally, there are some good action sequences that are decently bloody and I liked it.

Negatives for Honey Don't (2025): This movie barely has a story to tell to its audience. The movie feels like a series of events happening in order, but none of it lands right. The movie is too short to tell a story and it felt like Ethan Coen just wanted to make a lesbian movie without the story. And finally, Charlie Day got on my nerves as he refuses to accept that Margaret Qualley is a lesbian and I wanted to knock him out.

Overall, Honey Don't is a serviceable enough detective movie with a great cast, but it falls short of what Ethan Coen is known for doing when he is at his best.

L would have traded some of the sex for some plot development. I wanted to care but couldn't. Some funny moments. Life in a trailer home, The wicked pastor. But what was the movie about? I don't know. Great scenery as our leading lady cruises around the starkness of the city that could be anywhere USA.

The movie had all the ingredients but came out as dull as grandma's green jello.