Honey Don’t is the cinematic equivalent of driving out into the desert expecting to find treasure, only to discover a half-buried traffic cone and a sunburn
Directed by Ethan Coen, this neo-noir flick concentrates on Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley), a private detective, set on the backdrop of a sun-bleached Californian desert town. When she’s called to investigate a mysterious car accident, things spiral into a maze of dead bodies, shady church leaders, and narrative loose ends that hang around like tumbleweed.
Enter Chris Evans, swapping his superhero cape for a sleazy preacher’s collar, and Aubrey Plaza, whose usual brand of deadpan chaos feels criminally underused. Charlie Day pops up too, playing a cop who couldn’t solve a crossword, never mind a murder.
Chris Evans delivers one of the film’s strangest pleasures. His greasy, snake-oil preacher has a sermon scene about macaroni that is so unhinged it almost redeems the entire subplot. It’s absurd, borderline surreal, and yet oddly magnetic, proof that Evans is having the time of his life playing against type.
The film works best as a showcase for Margaret Qualley. She blends slapstick humour with classic detective cool, flipping between wisecracks and smouldering stares with ease. The noir style, Honey’s vintage detective vibe, the smoky banter, the on-brand opening credits, are all genuinely fun and work well for the film. Margaret Qualley slinks through scenes like she’s just walked out of a time machine from 1947.
Here’s the thing, Honey Don’t! was quite funny. Some of the exchanges sparkle with absurdist wit, the kind of throwaway one-liners that feel almost improvised. There are moments where you genuinely laugh – not just a polite cinema chuckle, but a proper snort-at-the-screen giggle. Whether it’s Chris Evans’ unhinged preacher riffs or Margaret Qualley’s razor-sharp but stern comebacks, the humour punctures the dusty noir atmosphere with welcome relief. Sadly, those laughs arrive in bursts, leaving the desert in between is still pretty dry – like a piece of uncooked macaroni!
It’s worth noting that the film relies heavily on adult content, including nudity, sleaze, and shock value, which doesn’t significantly advance the story. Instead of deepening the mystery, it feels shoehorned in, more like a distraction than a narrative necessity.
If you’re not already tuned into the Coen wavelength, this one risks leaving you stranded in the desert with no signal.
That said, Honey Don’t! isn’t unwatchable. It’s stylish, it has a cracking lead performance, and there are enough eccentric side characters to keep you from dozing off. But by the time the credits roll, you’ll feel like you’ve been sold a mystery novel with half the pages missing.
A Cannes Premiere ✨
Charlie Day, Aubrey Plaza, Margaret Qualley and Ethan Coen at the "Honey Don't!" premiere at #Cannes. pic.twitter.com/U2Htp3sOoc
— Variety (@Variety) May 23, 2025
Honey Don’t! first premiered at Cannes earlier this year, which feels fitting. Cannes has always had room for eccentric, offbeat cinema. But while the Croisette might embrace its quirks, wider audiences may find themselves less forgiving once the novelty wears off.
Signed, Sealed, Sooped 🩷
