Just when you thought the summer movie slate had cooled down, along comes Honey Don’t! A sultry, sun-drenched neo-noir that struts into the scene in high heels and a trench coat, batting its lashes and blowing smoke rings in your face. Directed by Ethan Coen, this is a lipstick-stained love letter to pulp fiction, queer sleuths, and off-kilter small-town mysteries where every clue comes with a wink.
Set to release on August 22, the trailer depicts Margaret Qualley oozing charisma, Chris Evans is suspiciously charming, and Aubrey Plaza? Let’s just say sparks fly harder than a Bakersfield heatwave. So grab your or martini and step into a world where the femme is fatale, the cults are creepy, and nobody plays it straight.
Margaret Qualley star of Drive-Away Dolls, once again steps into the role of a title character. This time, she plays Honey O’Donahue, a private detective in Bakersfield who has the deep voice and steady gaze of a hard-boiled femme fatale from the 1950s. With a guarded demeanour and a sharp mind, she lets you know that she is in command. The trailer teases her razor-sharp dialogue (“I see a need, and I fill it.” — “You see a need, and you exploit it.”), instantly setting her as a PI worth watching.
Honey, who drives a vintage turquoise Chevrolet SS, has to keep flicking away the propositions of a local cop Charlie Day) by telling him, “I like girls.” She’s not lying, but the fact that he can’t hear it says a lot about the skewed way the world still looks at queer women.
As the murder investigation progresses, she encounters Chris Evans who wiggles into the role of slick cult preacher Reverend Drew Devlin, offering smooth menace and sly flirtation with Honey. Aubrey Plaza, surprises as MG, a cop with serious heat. Her casual banter—“Love those click‑clacking heels”—and playful glances with Honey deliver an electric sapphic subtext that’s already lit up social media and of course Charlie Day, who pops in as the bumbling detective Marty, a perfect foil with comedic timing that promises laughs amid the tension.
Expect a wild ride filled with twists, intrigue, and plenty of sex and murder!
Geek Verdict:
The trailer expertly positions Honey Don’t! as a stylish “lesbian B-movie” neo-noir: cool, campy, and queer-forward. With its strong lead, solid supporting cast, and distinctive Coen–Cooke tone, it promises a sleek, dark comedy with bite, that is suave and sexy.
About Honey Don’t
Synopsis: Small-town private investigator Honey O’Donahue probes a series of strange deaths that are tied to a mysterious church.
Genre: Comedy • Crime • Mystery • Thriller
Director: Ethan Coen
Stars: Margaret Qualley • Chris Evans • Aubrey Plaza
Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes
Release Date: August 22, 2025
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After 28 years in corporate life, I swapped spreadsheets for screenplays and now write movie reviews and celebrity articles for Geekhub. It’s been a year of creative freedom, storytelling, and loving what I do—plus the occasional dramatic reaction to plot twists. No more meetings, just movies—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
