Rating: ***
Review Date: 8/23/25
Director: Ethan Coen
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day,
Lera Abova, Talia Ryder
"I prefer my dildo. It helps open me up and it's not attached to a creep."
Honey O'Donahue (Margaret Qualley) is a private detective whose latest client ends up getting murdered before they even get a chance to meet. Meanwhile, the shady Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans) is busy pushing drugs and having sex with his female followers, Honey's teenage niece (Talia Ryder) is having boyfriend problems, and a whole other subplot regarding a dealer, an enforcer, a druggie, and his boyfriend plays out. During her investigation, Honey also finds time to have a hot and steamy fling with police officer MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza). Somehow, all of these seemingly random threads come together right at the end for a semi-satisfying conclusion.
I remember seeing the trailer for the film about six months before it came out and I bolted upright in my seat. It was shear perfection and I made sure to mark the release date on my calendar. Curiously, the "official" trailer removed the lesbian references as well as the anti-Trump punchline, which only served to alienate the target demographic. Sadly, the film doesn't live up to the expectations set by the trailer and is too disjointed and meandering for its own good. Even with its short running time, I felt like it had serious pacing issues and I wanted to push things along. And while it is very clever how everything is related and significant, it certainly doesn't feel like it when you're watching the film.
Fortunately, the cast is wonderful and Margaret Qualley is exquisite. She's gorgeous and has full command of the screen. Her sassy dialog is perfect and her wardrobe is fantastic. She also drives an old Chevy Nova which is utterly delightful. Aubrey Plaza gives a shockingly provocative performance, and her sex scenes are a lot raunchier than I was expecting. They actually made me a bit uncomfortable. Chris Evans seems to really enjoy playing douche bag villains, and is always fun to watch. And if there wasn't already enough sex appeal in the film, Lera Abova adds some additional gratuitous eye candy.
Overall, it's quirky and attractive, but amounts to a whole lot of nothing. And I suppose that's okay, but I would have preferred something tighter with more action and suspense, and less sex. I can't fault the director or the actors, though, who all clearly seem to be having fun with the material. I just wish it was more fun for the audience.