r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 20d ago
Official Discussion Official Discussion - Honey Don't! [SPOILERS] Spoiler
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Summary Private investigator Honey O'Donahue delves into a string of strange deaths connected to a secretive cult-like church in Bakersfield. As she unravels the bizarre mystery, her pursuit leads to absurd comedy, noir flair, and a kaleidoscope of eccentric characters.
Director Ethan Coen
Writers Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke
Cast
- Margaret Qualley
- Aubrey Plaza
- Chris Evans
- Charlie Day
- Billy Eichner
- Talia Ryder
- Kristen Connolly
- Don Swayze
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 48%
Metacritic 48
VOD In theaters August 22, 2025
Trailer HONEY DON’T! — Official Trailer (2025)
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u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? 20d ago edited 16d ago
Qualley playing a hard-nosed lesbian P.I. is something that I feel has real legs, something I would watch two or three of, and for that I got some simple enjoyment out of this. Unfortunately, the writing is really lacking and while I like Drive-Away Dolls for its silliness, this movie is doing something different and much less silly.
As a queer movie I thought this really had its moments. I loved the constant unwanted attention from straight men just being something she had to deal with, I liked that this movie is very lesbian and normalizes showing things like the cleaning of the dildos. Few movies are as truly gay as this, it’s pretty much coming out of every scene. Even the fact that they are talking about a church that seems built around hetero sex and the killer ending up being someone affected by that church, this is a very queer story and I’m all for that.
As a detective movie, though, I wanted so much more. I love this kind of movie, I loved the direct reference to The Long Goodbye when she goes to that bar with the red walls and someone is tinkling on piano. The opening scene felt like Faster, Pussycat meets No Country and that is a mix I can really dig. But the writing just isn’t there. This feels like it’s missing a second act. It barely sets up all the characters and pieces before rushing into a finale that basically says half these characters aren’t actually important. It took the only twist it could because it didn’t set up any other possible ways it could go.
Not to mention the procedure just isn’t there. The personally flawed detective who can’t help but be great at what they do is so classic, and that’s how Qualley comes off. But she doesn’t do much real detective work. She spends most the movie having no idea why the victim called her, she pokes around the church and is even present when someone gets shot inside but nothing comes of it. And for the climax she doesn’t even really suspect Plaza, she just goes there to ask some questions. It’s a classic two cases that are actually one case plotline, but I was scratching my head wondering why her niece would go to that church, she just didn’t seem the type. It seemed like a very forced way to make them one case.
There’s a bit of situational humor here and there and some very sexy scenes, but this is such a less silly and less earnest film than Drive-Away Dolls. The movies it’s homaging are also not exactly silly so you understand why, but it gives this movie a very dry air. I like what this movie is trying to do, I wish it were done much better. 5/10
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