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Ethan Coen’s ‘Honey Don’t!’ Draws Split Early Reviews Ahead of U.S. Release

The solo effort from Coen with collaborator Tricia Cooke lands as the second entry in their self-styled lesbian B‑movie project.

Margaret Qualley in a scene from “Honey Don’t!” 
Aubrey Plaza, left, and Margaret Qualley in a scene from “Honey Don’t!” 
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Charlie Day in a scene from “Honey Don’t!

Overview

  • U.S. critics published opposing takes this week, with the Associated Press calling the film fun and watchable (three stars out of four) while the San Francisco Chronicle and The Globe and Mail criticized its casting, tone and plotting.
  • Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O’Donahue, a lesbian private investigator in Bakersfield, California, with Aubrey Plaza as a police officer and Chris Evans as a charismatic church leader.
  • The neo-noir caper kicks off with a suspicious death that leads the detective toward a church-linked web of wrongdoing, presented with dark humor and stylized genre touches.
  • Ethan Coen directs solo from a script co-written with Tricia Cooke, positioning the film as the second installment in their planned lesbian B‑movie trilogy.
  • Focus Features opens the 88‑minute film in U.S. theaters on Aug. 22, with an R rating for strong violence, language, graphic nudity and strong sexual content following its earlier Cannes Midnight slot premiere.