In a post-screening Q&A of Honey Don’t!, Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke, and moderator Michael Koresky began joking about filmmakers working without the intention of winning awards. They essentially landed on a simple mantra: What happened to making movies simply for the sake of making them? It may seem silly to some, but it honestly feels quite noble in the current cinematic landscape. So much of film discourse has devolved into shaping opinion around potential award prospects, or empty criticism towards something being “about nothing.” Now, there’s certainly nothing wrong with making films that are award-worthy, and Coen himself is no stranger to such acclaim! But it is incredibly refreshing to watch this film, the second in a planned trilogy of “lesbian B-movie’s”, and feel the pure fun Coen and Cooke are having with seemingly no expectations beyond its existence. In throwing their cinematic inspirations, inclinations, and ideas up on the big screen, they’re crafting these projects because they love making them. Now, whether or not these genre exercises work as films overall is a different story.
The verve of Honey Don’t! cannot be argued against. If Coen has shown us anything during the course of his long career making films alongside his brother, it’s that full commitment often pays off. That has clearly carried over into his creative partnership with Cooke. From the silent introduction of this film, bathed in blinding sunlight and complete lack of dialogue, it exudes the energy of a mystery waiting to be unraveled. And the rhythms of any Coen film are present, which makes sense considering Cooke has edited countless films for the brothers over the years. But the experience of Honey Don’t! really solidifies itself from the moment Margaret Qualley is on screen in costume. If her two collaborations with Coen and Cooke have proven anything, it’s that she was made for roles like this: ones that require complete commitment to a specific idea and tone that are barely represented on screen anymore. There are countless shots throughout this film that one could imagine seeing on the cover of a hard-boiled pulp paperback tossed into a thrift shop discount bin. That’s not a slight at all. In fact, the hard-boiled energy of Honey Don’t! is often its greatest asset. But it can also be its biggest flaw at times.
As I stated, the imagery of Honey Don’t! certainly conjures vivid images of pulp paperbacks. The same can be said of several performances across this film. It’s written in a way that feels like a full-fledged noir that has baked in the sun a bit too long. From the dialogue itself, to the mannerisms and cadences with which much of the script is delivered, its pulpy aura pours off the screen. All the bones of these inspirations are present within Honey Don’t!. But there’s something about this film, and its predecessor, that simply feels off. It’s difficult to tell the exact reason. Never one to be a purist about shooting on digital versus film, but the slick digital sheen of these films feels like it can’t be ignored. Some part of the allure of pulpy noirs hard boiled detective novels of this nature is the scuzziness the characters seem to exist within. In the world of the film, that tracks. It feels like the sun has baked sand, dust, and dirt into every square inch of the locations chosen. But the film almost looks too pretty, which feels like such a strange characteristic to call out in the first place!
At the same time, I can fully acknowledge these films are being made because they likely fall on the cheaper side of productions in Hollywood. I imagine many cinephiles, myself included, would rather have more films like these than less, so the tradeoff seems worth it. It also has to be said that, despite this nagging observation, the films still look incredible. Coen is obviously a great director (no surprise there), and to see him toying with a variety of visual flairs throughout his latest is so exciting. From split diopters to classic Coen visual gags and even playful Sam Raimi nods, Honey Don’t! makes it look so incredibly easy despite knowing full well filmmaking is anything but. The reason it may feel so simple is due to the actual content of the film itself.
Some formulas just work incredibly well. And Coen has time and time again proven himself to be a writer who can both deconstruct and reverentially examine certain blueprints. In doing so, we can see them function perfectly while facing the very reasons they are able to function in the first place. Alongside Cooke, they make an equally formidable duo in this regard. As far as the script goes, it has all the bones of a classic, dark noir set against a contemporary, sun-baked backdrop that feels incredibly lived in. Though this is the second film in their trilogy, it’s the first time audiences meet Honey Donahue (Qualley). But it definitely doesn’t feel like Honey didn’t exist prior to the opening credits. Through the immaculate production design, on-location shooting, performers who are committed to nailing the archetypes of such a story while still allowing them to feel like people, it all makes for a great cinematic experience. Chris Evans’ role in this is a prime example. As Reverend Drew, he has this shithead charisma that’s so despicable, yet so undeniable. You instantly understand how he was able to form a church around his cult of personality. And with Cooke and Coen backing his performance, it’s golden.
Overall, this feels like a step-up from Drive-Away Dolls. Honey, Don’t! meanders in a way that feels intentional. The mystery can feel lacking at times, but there’s plenty occurring internally within Qualley’s performance which keeps the viewer engaged for a rapidly paced 89 minutes. As Honey is pulled in countless directions, the existential emptiness she feels is only amplified by the way Coen and Cooke have written and captured a town in the middle of the desert. If this duo cranked out a paperback novel a year in this exact style, my shelf would unquestionably be filled with each new entry. So the fact that these films also serve as a bit of a playground for Coen to visually experiment is an added bonus at the very least. By that same token, despite never walking away from these films buzzing with excitement, I’ll keep showing up for the love of cinema within them. To see creatives reveling in their passions and inspirations is a beautiful thing. For that alone, we need Go, Beavers! from Coen and Cooke sooner rather than later. We’ll be seated for the duo’s next outing, but hopefully Honey, Don’t! won’t be the last we see of Honey Donahue and her investigations!