Honey Don't!

Honey (Margaret Qualley) is a PI in a dangerous town in Honey Don't! (Distributed by Focus Features

Honey Don’t! is a real odd duck of a movie. A detective story that expends very little energy on its case, a dark comedy, an exhibition of strange behavior and a kind of mild commentary on contemporary religious institutions, it is sort of entertaining and also sort of unpleasant. Its biggest assets are its length (at a brief 84 minutes, without the end credits, it certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome), its well-chosen cast and some amusingly snappy dialogue. There isn’t quite enough of the latter and the story, despite a lot of subplots that feel like they should connect, doesn’t really end up going anywhere, producing a genuine “what was the point” feeling as the credits begin to roll.

This is absolutely a case of style over substance, as it is practically dripping with the stuff, yet it doesn’t amount to a whole lot. There are individual scenes that hum along nicely. The promise is definitely here. However, the screenplay never figured out how to fit it all together, leaving this a bit of a jumbled mess.

Honey O’Donahue is a private investigator in Bakersfield, California. Possibly the only even remotely normal person in town, she talks like a character out of a 30s detective novel. She is casually looking into the death of a would-be client. This leads her toward a shady, sex-crazed reverend and a police officer who might be able to make an honest woman out of her.

If you are making something based in large part on style, the first thing you need to do is cast a star who is capable of carrying that. Director/cowriter Ethan Coen undeniably nailed that by choosing Margaret Qualley to play Honey. She plays her like she knows she is the smartest person in the room and is almost exhausted by having to devise an instant snarky comeback to every pick-up line thrown at her. She exudes confidence, as she always acts as if she belongs wherever she is, yet there is a sadness in her at what the world has become. She is by far the most complex character in the movie, thanks entirely to what Qualley brings to her performance. She is very good and could have been great if only she had a little more to work with.

Reverend Drew (Chris Evans) sermonizes his congregation

Chris Evans is pretty enjoyable as the slimy Reverend Drew, using his position to justify any bad act he commits. It is a funny performance that goes nowhere because the screenplay (by Coen and Tricia Cooke) uses him for light satire without ever giving him a clear purpose. Okay, he is a man of God who deals drugs and takes advantage of damaged women. That is level one. There is no level two here, leaving Evans a bit adrift in the story. While he is talented enough to still be good in the role, his arc is all beginning, with no middle and no end. The one scene he shares with Qualley is the best in the movie.

As the love interest, Aubrey Plaza is alright. The character is interesting in concept. The execution is too shallow for her to create much with. Some banter between her and Qualley could have been really fun. The movie doesn’t take that route. Instead, it keeps her kind of muted. Charlie Day plays a Charlie Day character as a homicide detective with an unrequited crush on Honey. He has a couple funny lines, but is mostly a plot device.

That is basically how Honey Don’t! feels in general. It mixes wittiness with unnecessarily graphic violence and unlikable characters in a way that isn’t that fun. It just never clicks the way the Coen Brothers’ best work does. Though I wanted to like it, it kept moving off into weird and off-putting directions. It definitely needed more substance. And probably another edit.

2¾ out of 5

Cast:

Margaret Qualley as Honey O’Donahue

Aubrey Plaza as MG Falcone

Chris Evans as Reverend Drew Devlin

Charlie Day as Marty Metakawitch

Directed by Ethan Coen

Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke