DVD Corner

Honey Don’t! Blu-ray Review

We really need the Coen Bros. back.  

Set in Bakersfield, California, “Honey Don’t!” is a neo-noir comedy revolving around private investigator Honey O’Donahue. The story starts off with Mia investigating the death of a woman named Mia who allegedly died in a car accident before becoming involved in another case involving her missing niece Corinne. That’s not all that’s going on, however, as there are interconnected plots involving a cult leader (who uses his temple as a front for a drug business), Honey’s family, a liaison named Chère, other murders, and a police officer (MG) whom Honey develops a bond with. 

After starring in the abysmal “Drive-Away Dolls,” Margaret Qualley reteams with writer/director Ethan Coen and co-writer Tricia Cooke for the second in a planned lesbian B-movie trilogy. The good news? “Honey Don’t!” is a marked improvement over “Drive-Away Dolls.” The bad news? It’s still not a good movie. 

With these solo outings, it’s clear that Ethan Coen really needs to reteam with his brother Joel. Together they make cinematic magic. On their own their work leaves a lot to be desired. “Honey Don’t!” feels like a shelved project that is now seeing the light of day. It has shades of that Coen Bros. creativity and bears a resemblance to “The Big Lebowski” in certain ways. For the most part though it’s a half-baked neo-noir/murder mystery that feels like half of a movie. Just as the movie picks up in the third act, the anti-climactic ending rolls around. You’re left wanting more from the story, more from MG’s character, and less of a rushed climax. 

On the plus side, the cast is electric. Even though the material they are working with is underwhelming, Margaret Qualley and Aubrey Plaza really light up the screen as Honey and MG respectively. There’s a particularly sexy bar scene that is the highlight of the entire movie. Chris Evans and Charlie Day also turn in memorable work as a sleazy Reverend and a dopey cop.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 and 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? The transfer is decent, but a little fuzzy.

Audio Track: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. How does it sound? The 5.1 track is satisfactory.

No extras.

October 24, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Ethan Coen, Honey Don't! Blu-ray Review, Margaret Qualley, Neo-Noir