"Honey Don’t!": A Glimpse Into the World of Queer Film Noir

Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke's newest film "Honey Don’t!" has Margaret Qualley in the role of Honey O’Donahue, a savvy and stylish private investigator operating in Bakersfield, California. Known for tackling infidelity cases, Honey soon finds herself immersed in a higher-stakes enigma concerning the mysterious death of a local woman, religious cults, power-crazed pastors and an unexpected romance.

"Honey Don’t!" shares creative parallels with Coen’s earlier solo venture, "Drive-Away Dolls", another film in their unconventional lesbian B-movie trilogy. However, the newest film stands out due to its engaging whodunit plot, although, like its predecessor, it comes across as a consecutive series of gags that seem to lack direction.

Coen and Cooke have previously expressed their commitment to bringing more queer representation to the kinds of audacious genre films they admire. However, their approach to humor could benefit from a more rooted narrative to keep audiences meaningfully invested.

The performances and parts of its world-building in "Honey Don’t!" are commendable. Qualley nails her role as a tough P.I., while Aubrey Plaza shines as her emotionally distant love interest, MG Falcone. Chris Evans also morphs impressively into Drew Devlin, a lewd religious cult leader.

The film could have benefited from exploring Honey and MG’s relationship and other compelling storylines more deeply. Despite inconsistencies, it provides a platform for some memorable performances and manages to subset a unique and important narrative landscape. The film draws viewers into a vibrant world of thrilling mystery and dramatic suspense, subverting genre norms with its queer representation, but could use more intricate storytelling to drive the humor and hold the audience's attention.