YNOT at the Movies

A lesbian private eye investigating the rot inside a small-town church sounds like the perfect recipe for a sharp, stylish, and subversive movie. But director Ethan Coen's "Honey Don't!" (UK/USA 2025 | 88 min.) fails to live up to that promise. The film opens with a playful flourish—its credits appear on signs, shopfronts, and roadside billboards, setting the stage for a stylized noir homage. It's a clever touch that hints at a sharp, ironic ride ahead. But what follows is a chaotic, visually loud film more invested in attitude than storytelling, with momentum that stutters as soon as the plot kicks in.

Honey O'Donoghue (Margaret Qualley) is a private investigator in Bakersfield, CA, with the clipped voice, cool stare, and vintage aesthetic of a classic noir heroine. She routinely brushes off the unwanted advances of a local cop (Charlie Day) with dry, unwavering confidence: "I like girls!" She is looking into the Four Way Temple, a homegrown religious operation with a twisted core. Its leader, Reverend Drew (Chris Evans), uses his power to manipulate and exploit young women, dressing them in fetish gear under the guise of spiritual guidance. When one of them turns up dead, Honey's investigation spirals into a mess of secrets, cover-ups, and moral decay.

There are several other characters during Honey's investigation. Her sister (Kristen Connolly) is overwhelmed caring for a brood of kids, and her niece (Talia Ryder) is stuck in a toxic relationship. A brief entanglement with MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza), a straight-talking cop, adds some dry humor and another twist to Honey's already complicated world. But they, like a string of other oddball side characters never quite come together into a satisfying whole.

There are amusing moments, and Margaret Qualley brings a laconic charisma to her role. Despite committed performances and flashes of sharp humor, the film never quite comes together. It flirts with crime thriller, dark comedy, and pulp absurdity, but the shifts in tone feel abrupt and disconnected. There's a wry tone throughout, and the twists come fast—often bloody. Some of that bloodshed feels more like spectacle than storytelling. Characters are introduced only to meet sudden, grisly ends, and not all of them earn their place in the narrative.

The film is more interested in bizarre detours than narrative payoff, and its obsession with provocation eventually wears thin. Too often, the film trades momentum for indulgence. As Ethan Coen's second solo directorial effort without brother Joel Coen, this film feels like a creative side project indulging in chaos for its own sake.

"Honey Don't!" has flashes of charm and cleverness, but it barely leaves a mark. For all its noise and bloodshed, the film feels scattered and superficial, a stylized diversion that fizzles out instead of telling a mesmerizing story.

"Honey Don't!" opens in theaters on Friday, August 22, 2025.