Ethan Coen’s latest lesbian B-movie caper, Honey Don’t!, takes aim at neo-noir with unabashed risque flair and tongue-in-cheek sensibility. Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O’Donahue, a femme detective navigating Califorian heat, eccentric misfits, and a suspicious cult led by a suave Chris Evans. Her confident swagger—think Veronica Mars meets gumshoe swagger—anchors the film with bold charisma.
Visually arresting and infused with quirky dialogue, the film offers gory set pieces and frenetic pacing that keep viewers curious, if only intermittently. Aubrey Plaza appears only briefly, and her scant presence has drawn commentary considering her marketing prominence.
Reviews are split: some critics praise its infectious energy and Living-Lynchian oddity, applauding its willingness to indulge in absurd glamour and erotic edge.
Others argue it feels uneven—an undercooked noir mishmash weighed down by a flimsy mystery and disconnected tonal shifts.
In the end, Honey Don’t! may not reinvent the genre, but it has a pulpy charm that works in fits and starts. If nothing else, it reinvigorates the gumshoe archetype through its unapologetically femme lens and stylized bravado.
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