Honey Don’t!
Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) is a private investigator who offers complimentary therapeutic advice to prospective clients before taking on their cases. When one of them turns up dead, she launches her own inquiry. As more bodies emerge, the evidence begins to point towards a mysterious church led by Reverend Drew (Chris Evans).
Following and improving upon last year’s Drive-Away Dolls, Honey Don’t is another entry in the pulpy lesbian genre trilogy envisioned by creatives Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke. Honey’s approach to her line of work both serves and subverts the archetype of the private eye, feeding perfectly into the classic exploitation tropes of sex and violence that the film heavily draws from.
Qualley’s established rapport with the screenwriters and director provides a framework far better suited to her comedic strengths than their previous collaboration. Aubrey Plaza – playing a policewoman with an agenda of her own – brings her signature deadpan delivery, a welcome addition to the movie’s offbeat cadence. However, the male characters feel so underdeveloped and misaligned that it must be intentional, seemingly in service of the women’s arcs. The corresponding performances are predictably disappointing. Chris Evans has cultivated his squeaky-clean persona for so long that his character’s carnal obsession and moral corruption feel asserted rather than believable. The result is a pale rendition of his Not Another Teen Movie performance, when he could have gone much darker. Unsalvageable is whatever Charlie Day attempts as a detective; his over-the-top voice acting is utterly dismal and disrupts every scene he’s in.
Honey Don’t is light fare for a gritty mystery-comedy. Its entertaining blend of whodunit intrigue, goofy humour and sleazy titillation is perfectly encapsulated by a trio of enticing female performances. One can only hope the momentum continues upward – and that the trilogy concludes with a true masterpiece.
Selina Sondermann
Honey Don’t! does not have a release date yet.
Read more reviews from our Cannes Film Festival coverage here.
For further information about the event visit the Cannes Film Festival website here.
Watch the trailer for Honey Don’t! here:
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