Some filmmaking pairs need both members to be present to pull off great work. The perfect example of this is the Coen Brothers. For whatever reason, the Coen Brothers have decided to part ways and make movies on their own. However, Joel and Ethan Coen have yet to deliver something exciting and remarkable individually, despite their successes when working together. Ethan Coen’s latest movie is a perfect example of this idea. Ethan, obviously, has a lot of great story and character ideas, but without the input of his brother Joel, he cannot see these concepts to their best fruition. Honey, Don’t! has an assortment of great characters, particularly that of the titular character Honey; however, the story is a rather messy collection of inspired ideas that never come to a satisfying conclusion.
Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) is a sharp and intuitive private investigator working in Bakersfield, California, who stumbles on the bizarre death of a woman initially seeking her help. Though her death appears to be accidental, Honey’s intellectual curiosity drives her to dig deeper into her life and history, and she discovers that her involvement with a strange church might hold the key to the truth behind her death. Though Honey does not need to pursue this case, she investigates her client’s past and discovers that her church is probably involved in some criminal activities.
Written and directed by Ethan Coen and co-written by Tricia Cooke, Honey, Don’t! definitely has its entertaining moments and has a fun assortment of characters to keep its audiences interested, but the storytelling is so messy that the movie never comes together cohesively. There is undoubtedly a surprise reveal in the film that plays out so flatly that it doesn’t have the intended effect. I actually enjoyed watching the Honey character work as a detective, navigating her way through her investigation and juggling her personal life and work. However, the end result comes across so bewildering that it often makes the story seem like a waste of time.
I enjoyed the acting of the cast, with Qualley being the standout of the film. I would absolutely be interested in a detective series featuring her character taking on various cases and encountering a wild assortment of characters. Still, this series would need better writing and direction. I also enjoyed the performance of Chris Evans, who portrays a church pastor named Drew Devlin, who is involved in some nefarious affairs.
Honey, Don’t! is another example that Joel and Ethan Coen need each other to create excellent work. Together, these two filmmakers have a great track record of making remarkable films, but ever since they parted ways, the results have not been the same. Honey, Don’t! is an amusing and entertaining movie, but I do not recommend it for theatrical viewing.