• Director: Ethan Coen
• Screenplay: Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke
• Cast: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day
• Cinematography: Ari Wegner
• Editing: Tricia Cooke, Emily Denker
• Score: Carter Burwell
• Genre: Neo-noir dark comedy detective
• Runtime: 89 minutes

‘Honey Don’t!‘ is the middle entry in a ‘lesbian B-movie trilogy’ (their words, not mine) from director Ethan Coen and his writing partner / wife Tricia Cooke. Last year’s ‘Drive-Away Dolls‘ was a crime-infused road movie, this film keeps the criminal element intact but has the feel of an old-school detective yarn.

It’s as far removed from the Coen brothers’ ‘Fargo‘ as you’d imagine. Wintry Minnesota is swapped for Bakersfield, California, where there’s nary a tree to be seen for miles. Lead character Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley), a private detective, is the antithesis of Frances McDormand’s police chief Marge Gunderson. Marge was a homely, maternal figure whereas Honey is hedonistic and sensual.

Having hived off from his brother, Ethan’s project is gushing with gratuitous sexual content. One might instantly write off any female nudity depicted as having been included for ‘the male gaze’. Not so, I’d say it might appeal to same-sex attracted women more. The hot-bloodedness left me cold, the sticky bedroom scenes not doing anything to drive the plot forward.

Honey is busy as a bee investigating a car crash, a cult-like church and the disappearance of her niece while still having time to hook up with a cop (Aubrey Plaza).

Coen’s strong cinematic visuals are buzzworthy; the sequences with Honey driving in her open-top automobile down the neglected West Coast streets keeping us sweet when the narrative veers off course. Margaret Qualley is outstanding, fully understanding the assignment given. Chris Evans as the lecherous preacher surprised me, playing against his all-American good guy type.

Not quite the bee’s knees but not a total buzzkill either.

My rating: 6 / 10