Written by Sam Clark 

Certificate: 15 

Running time: 89 minutes

Director: Ethan Coen

The Coen brothers are one of those rare filmmakers whose body of work includes films of such a diverse nature. On the one hand they have provided some of the best and whackiest comedies to ever grace cinema with the likes of Fargo, Barton Fink and O Brother, Where Art Thou, and on the other, cold blooded thrillers like No Country For Old Men which provided some of the most sustained set pieces of all time. In 2024, Ethan Coen co wrote and directed Drive Away Dolls which came along and attempted to emulate the styles of his earliest comedies. What was odd, however, was just just how much of an empty and unfunny misfire it was. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it was the starting point of a new lesbian B-movie trilogy, Honey Don't being the sequel, and a third is reportedly on the way called Go Beavers (no subtlety there). Having now sat through Honey Don't and experiencing all the same issues once again of the first film, it's going to be a bumpy ride from here on out. 

Ethan Coen, one half of the Coen brothers, returns to co write and direct here alongside his wife Tricia Cooke. We continue the story of Margaret Qualley's Honey O' Donahue, a smart talking private investigator in California. Honey is investigating a local car crash which is not the accident it is made out to be, which leads her to a suspicious and corrupt church ran by Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans). We soon discover that he not only leads the church as it's preacher, but also as a drug trafficker (and other secrets that are more disturbingly... taboo let's say). Honey's investigation sends her down a dark rabbit hole of various corruptions and cults, and she begins to doubt who can she really trust. 

Honey Don't is a lot of things: a trashy, self aware, Tarantino esque, grindhouse lesbian crime thriller that follows the usual Coen style and aesthetic of quickfire dialogue and quirky sensibility; but what's so surprising is how unremarkable and frankly boring it turns out to be. It's a shame a film that all of their most identifiable aesthetics (aesthetics that has made them some of the most unique filmmakers to ever live) are in a weaker film, something that also calls to mind classic American thrillers. I confess that I found this just as jarring as before, which was not hard to do as it's virtually the same film all over again. However, Honey Don't is ever so slightly more watchable from a more anarchic and silly perspective. This time around, the film does toy around with violence and splatter reminiscent of Tarantino which does give you some bang for your buck thankfully, as had these moments of comic gore not been there, it would have been a far more tiresome affair than it already was.  

If it were to compare this to anything in particular, I would say it's closest companion would be Burn After Reading, but certainly goes the extra mile in terms of smirk and giggle worthy comedy. As was the case with Drive Away Dolls, there are innuendos galore here and plenty of crude moments that you will either find funny or just simply cringe at; there really is no in between. This is appears as though it is entirely purposeful from Ethan Coen, but whether not people will like it as a whole other manner. 

I do remember most of Drive Away Dolls but do not find myself thinking about it often. As to why they are doing a trilogy I could not tell you, as if there is one thing I remember, it is that it did not receive the best of accolades from the critics nor did it do any business at the box office (which also looks to have happened here as well). Both of these are the reasons most films are put to sleep. The amount of films I have loved but have made no money and have been scrapped are too many to count, so why we have not only received another but have a third in the making is beyond me. Hollywood's a strange one isn't it. 

In cinemas now