Honey, No! (2025) - Film Review

      **Honey Don’t!**, 2025.

      Directed by Ethan Coen.

      Starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day, Lera Abova, Jacnier, Gabby Beans, Talia Ryder, Kristen Connolly, Josh Pafchek, Don Swayze, Lena Hall, Alexander Carstoiu, Kale Browne, Christian Antidormi, Billy Eichner, Kinna McInroe, Sean J. Dillingham, Jude Atencio, Sean Philip Glasgow, Donny Ness, and Gloria Sandoval.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      This dark comedy revolves around Honey O’Donahue, a private investigator from a small town, who investigates a series of bizarre deaths linked to a clandestine church. There is a fleeting moment in **Honey Don’t!**—the second collaboration among Ethan Coen, his wife Tricia Cooke, and lead actress Margaret Qualley—where it seems poised to convey a message, with dialogue contrasting the sexually liberated private detective Honey O’Donohue (Qualley) and the sleazy Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans). Both characters form intimate relationships through their work; while Honey remains traditional in her investigative methods, she embarks on a raunchy affair with police clerk MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza) and maintains a clear boundary between her sexual life and her professional skills. Contrastingly, Drew exploits his authority, manipulating religious principles to entice lonely souls longing for connection into his own escapades. However, this offers only a couple of minutes of engaging narrative, lacking the humor found in their previous project, **Drive-Away Dolls**.

      In **Honey Don’t!**, a mystery unfolds involving a puzzling French woman, Chere (Lera Abova), who is searching through the site of a deadly car crash and sifting through the victim's possessions, collecting items for someone else. Honey teams up with the police department, frequently dealing with Marty Metakawitch (Charlie Day), a well-meaning but persistent guy who awkwardly continues to ask for her number despite her clear preference for women. The reliance on this straight man's pursuit for a date as one of the only recurring jokes in an LGBTQ comedy is not a promising indication; Charlie Day can typically make anything appealing, yet none of the talented cast manages to salvage the rest of the film.

      To be frank, the film becomes cluttered with too many ideas that not only fail to integrate into the storyline but also aren't given adequate time to develop within an 88-minute run. About ten of those minutes are dedicated to the opening credits, which drag on as they blend into creatively elaborate production designs showcasing the various settings of this small town, as well as the concluding credits. At one point, the central mystery seems to be overshadowed by another regarding the disappearance of Honey's troubled niece, Corinne (Talia Ryder), who is involved with a physically and emotionally abusive MAGA supporter.

      Additionally, the story is populated with characters tangled in drug trafficking subplots, which serve little purpose and result in mean-spirited jokes regarding innocent characters' deaths. The film continually veers in multiple directions, leaving the protagonist feeling like a secondary consideration and absent for long stretches (especially for a film of this duration). Honey is also tasked by Mr. Siegfried (Billy Eichner) to investigate whether his partner is cheating, but she does not seem particularly inclined to pursue this lead.

      Despite some scattered laughs, one of the few highlights is the chemistry between Margaret Qualley and Aubrey Plaza, both of whom present different perspectives on their social and sexual identities. However, even this dynamic culminates in absurdities that are only slightly shocking in how illogical they are. Since the characters are mostly one-dimensional, there is little excitement in the narrative. The whole story hangs by a fragile thread: **Honey Don’t!** (consider watching something else).

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder