Honey Don’t! Review – Stylish, Quirky, and Just a Little All Over the Place

In our Honey Don’t! review, we break down Ethan Coen’s offbeat whodunit starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Evans — quirky fun, messy story, big personalities.

If you’ve seen Ethan Coen’s work before, you know you’re not getting a straight-laced detective story. With Honey Don’t!, Coen teams up with his wife Tricia Cooke to deliver the second entry in their planned “lesbian B-movie” trilogy. It’s part mystery, part comedy, part chaotic ride — and it doesn’t always play by the rules.

Margaret Qualley in ‘Honey Don’t!’ Karen Kuehn/Focus Features

The result? A film that’s full of personality, big performances, and sharp humor… but also a story that occasionally drifts so far off course you almost forget there’s a mystery to solve.

A Detective in Heels

Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) is not your average private investigator. She works out of Bakersfield, California, and her usual cases are the kind you’d expect: suspicious spouses, shady lovers, and a lot of awkward hotel confrontations. She’s quick-witted, perfectly styled, and unafraid to walk into a seedy bar in a power pantsuit and heels.

Her routine gets turned upside down after a fatal car accident. The police — mainly homicide detective Marty Metkovich (Charlie Day) — are ready to call it an accident. Honey’s gut says otherwise. And if there’s one thing you learn early in Honey Don’t!, it’s that when Honey’s instincts kick in, she doesn’t let go.

The Web of Trouble

From the moment she starts digging, Honey stumbles into a bigger, stranger world. There’s Drew Devlin (Chris Evans), a charismatic preacher who’s equal parts cult leader and con artist. His church promises prosperity, but behind the sermons is something much darker.

Add to that a mysterious French woman (Lera Abova) who rides a Vespa through town like she owns the place, whispers of a drug operation, and a suspicious trail of deaths — and suddenly the case feels a lot less like a car accident and a lot more like a conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Honey begins a romance with MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza), a local cop who’s just as guarded and sarcastic as she is. Their chemistry is there, but the film treats it more like an occasional subplot than the emotional heart it could’ve been.

A Cousin to Drive-Away Dolls

If Honey Don’t! feels a little familiar, it’s because Coen and Cooke’s last outing, Drive-Away Dolls, also centered queer women caught in an offbeat adventure. This one actually starts stronger — the whodunit framework gives it more focus in the beginning.

But somewhere around the final act, the story wanders. Scenes start feeling like standalone comedy bits rather than steps toward solving the mystery. You still get moments of pure entertainment, but the momentum dips.

Why the Cast Works So Well

Even when the plot wobbles, the cast keeps things fun.

• Margaret Qualley nails Honey’s balance of toughness and charm. She’s stylish, sharp, and has the kind of presence that makes you want to follow her through every twist and turn.
• Aubrey Plaza plays MG with dry wit and cool detachment, letting tiny hints of vulnerability slip through.
• Chris Evans clearly relishes being the smooth-talking, morally bankrupt preacher.
• Charlie Day brings plenty of awkward laughs, though his character’s running gag about hitting on Honey might test your patience.

Even the smaller roles — like Josh Pfaffchek’s Shaggy and Gbenga Akinnagbe’s Spider — bring genuine, scene-stealing humor.

Style, Attitude, and a Bit of Chaos

One thing Honey Don’t! nails is its style. Bakersfield isn’t just a backdrop — it feels dusty, sun-bleached, and lived-in. The church is all polished surfaces and fake smiles. And the costumes? Absolutely on point.

Costume designer Peggy Schnitzer deserves a shoutout here. Honey’s tailored pantsuits, Spider’s loud blouses, MG’s understated cool — every outfit tells you something about the character wearing it.

This attention to visual detail makes the film fun to look at, even when the plot takes a backseat.

Beneath the Humor

For all its silliness, there’s a purpose to Honey Don’t! that’s worth noting. Coen and Cooke have talked about wanting to make genre films where queer characters lead the story instead of orbiting around straight leads.

Honey is a great example — she’s not a sidekick, not a stereotype, just a fully realized main character who happens to be queer. It’s refreshing, and it gives the movie a bit of weight beneath the colorful chaos.

The Highs and Lows

The Highs:

• Magnetic lead performance from Margaret Qualley
• Stylish, memorable visuals
• A mystery setup that hooks you early
• Offbeat humor that feels distinctly Coen

The Lows:

• The third act loses focus
• The romance feels underdeveloped
• Some jokes overstay their welcome

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Final Verdict – Honey Don’t! Review

Honey Don’t! is like a road trip with friends who keep taking weird detours — sometimes hilarious, sometimes frustrating, but rarely boring. The film thrives on personality: Honey herself is worth the ticket price, and the cast around her makes the ride even more entertaining.

It’s not the tight, edge-of-your-seat mystery some might hope for, but if you’re in it for the style, the banter, and the sheer oddness of it all, you’ll have a good time.

And if Coen and Cooke keep making movies like this, one thing’s for sure — you’ll never be able to accuse them of playing it safe.

Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes
Release Date: August 22
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day, Lera Abova
Director: Ethan Coen
Writers: Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke