Co-writer and director Ethan Coen has reteamed with co-writer Tricia Cooke (Drive-Away Dolls) on this second installment of their planned “lesbian B-movie trilogy.” This time around, the neo-noir comedy focuses on small-town private investigator Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley), who investigates strange deaths and becomes entangled with a religious cult led by Rev. Drew Devlin (Chris Evans). (88 min.)
Glen: The subtitle for this film should be Men Behaving Badly, because almost every male character is deeply flawed. Devlin’s corruption runs deep, from sexually exploiting his congregation to running drugs out of his church. His Aussie henchman, Shuggie (Josh Pafchek), is as dumb as a bag of hair and unquestioning in his loyalty. Earnest church member, Hector (Jacnier), is a murderous reactionary. Even police Detective Marty Metakawitch (Charlie Day) can’t stop himself from unrelentingly hitting on Honey no matter how many times she tells him, “I like girls.” Mr. Siegfried (Billy Eichner), who comes to Honey to investigate his philandering boyfriend, is a vindictive, simpering tool. The women aren’t much better; though to her credit, Honey tries to do the right thing. She’s a womanizing one-night-stand queen … until she meets police officer MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza), who she goes back to for “seconds.” It’s all very titillating and violent and entertaining.
Anna: Honey and her click-clacking heels is a spellbinder, but luckily this film isn’t trying to paint anyone in rosy tones. She’s like a beautiful steak served up on a platter, but on closer inspection, there’s a streak of gristle running through. One of the wonderful things about a character like this is their “take me as I am” attitude, and Qualley has a real knack for embodying that cool-guy persona. When Honey’s green-lipsticked and bad-boyfriend-having teenage niece, Corinne (Talia Ryder), turns up missing, Honey soon surmises that another recent death may be connected and tied to Devlin’s weird church. Between Drive-Away Dolls and Honey Don’t!, this trilogy is a lot of fun so far. They even managed to get me with the twist on this one. Let’s hope the next installation proves just as fun as the first two.
Glen: Honey is a compelling character, and it’s interesting you describe her “cool-guy persona,” because she embodies what our culture often favors in young men: looks, a knack with the ladies, and an ability to handle herself if violence is required. She’s compelling because she’s also kind and wise. When Mr. Siegfried tries to hire her to investigate his boyfriend, she has sage advice for him, though he doesn’t take it. Likewise, when her estranged father (Kale Browne) turns up to make amends, she doesn’t turn soft. Instead, she handles him like the bully he was to her and her sister, Heidi (Kristen Connolly), when they were kids. Honey doesn’t need a man in any capacity. It’s a surprising little flick with the patented Coen kick. I hope Qualley returns as the lead in the next one. She’s loaded with sass.
Anna: She’s a great lead, and if they snag her for the next film, it’s sure to be a fun romp. Evans is good too as the smarmy preacher. There’s no lack of self-indulgence in his personality or his bedroom. One thing I loved about this film is it doesn’t feel the need to wrap up everything into nice, neat little bows. Some things are left to dangle, others come out of the blue, and with a tight 88-minute runtime, we get just enough to have a good time and avoid boredom creeping in. This is the perfect excuse to head on down for some AC and freshly buttered popcorn. You’ll have a great time with Honey Don’t!
New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 7, 2025.