Chris Evans hilarious cult leader role in Honey Don’t has critics and audiences buzzing after its raucous debut at the Cannes Film Festival, where the actor sheds his Marvel image to play Reverend Drew, a brazen preacher in a wildly stylish crime caper. The film, directed by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, lands in theaters August 22 and invites viewers to an unpredictable world of sex, murder, and wicked laughs in sun-drenched Bakersfield, California.
Returning to collaboration since their early days with the Coen Bros’ 1990 classic “Miller’s Crossing,” filmmakers Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke deliver a second entry in their queer crime comedy trilogy with “Honey Don’t!” Following last year’s “Drive-Away Dolls,” they once again center a lesbian protagonist within a riotous mystery, diving deep into the absurdity and offbeat perils of small-town noir.
Margaret Qualley Anchors a Fresh Detective Story
Margaret Qualley steps back into the filmmakers’ orbit, embodying Honey O’Donahue, a private investigator guarding her secrets as tightly as her cases. Her latest assignment, unraveling after a new client dies in a suspicious car crash, introduces viewers immediately to her witty, guarded nature. Interactions with a bumbling police detective, played with comic flair by Charlie Day, set the stage for a saga where Honey’s intuition guides her through mounting oddities and danger.
Image of: Chris Evans
The ensemble adds color and complexity to Honey’s path: Lera Abova races by as a moped-riding femme fatale; Aubrey Plaza brings sardonic heft as a tough, sapphic police officer; and Chris Evans crashes in as a bizarre, self-absorbed cult figure. Underscoring the blend of sex, secrets, and improbably humorous violence, each player injects conflicts and chaos, while Honey never loses her cool, queer edge.
Unlike the wild comedic chaos of “Drive-Away Dolls,” the tone of “Honey Don’t!” shifts thanks to Qualley’s performance. Gone is the cartoonish swagger; in its place, Qualley channels sharp-tongued wit and cool confidence reminiscent of 1930s screwball heroines and noir icons. Her sartorial choices—impeccably tailored, never dull—add period flair, while her directness cuts through flirtations and threats alike. When Day’s detective tries to charm her, she shoots back, “I like girls,” preserving a distinct, contemporary frankness amidst genre throwbacks.
Honey’s warmth permeates her every move, whether she’s mentoring a gaggle of nieces and nephews or following up on risqué clues. Unlike generations of brooding male detectives, her charisma feels both inviting and razor-sharp, shaped by acceptance and belonging in her California surroundings—a land that, as Coen and Cooke present it, glows under a relentless sun even as darkness creeps at the edges.
Cinema’s Dark Humor Meets Neo-Noir Vibes
Coen and Cooke’s screenplay brims with irreverent jokes about sexuality, mortality, and the ignorance of underworld denizens. The directors resist comparisons to previous Coen siblings’ classics such as “Raising Arizona” or “The Big Lebowski,” instead mapping out a new, female-centered territory within crime fiction, influenced by but not beholden to noir traditions. Cooke’s voice as co-writer, producer, and editor is clear, imbuing the narrative with freshness, particularly as it explores unfamiliar Californian subcultures bursting with deranged, sunburnt grit.
Whereas “Drive-Away Dolls” relished Americana and road trip kitsch, “Honey Don’t!” prefers shadowy corners and eccentric personalities—many of whom upend familiar genre tropes. The plot uncoils through a web of lies, seduction, and violence, anchored by characters less often centered in classic mysteries and always ready to subvert expectations.
Chris Evans Abandons Heroics for Hilarious Villainy
Liberated from his years as Captain America in the MCU, Chris Evans fully embraces his capacity for roguery, reminiscent of his disarming turn in “Knives Out.” In “Honey Don’t!,” he inhabits Reverend Drew, a preacher whose control over his cult is matched by his appetite for mayhem—sexual or otherwise. His congregation of zealous minions pledges to fulfill his every depraved request, setting the stage for outrageous, unpredictable comedy.
The film is enlivened by an exceptional supporting cast: Aubrey Plaza’s sardonic cop, Billy Eichner’s scene-stealing guest, Gabby Beans’ magnetic presence, and Charlie Day’s affable detective all infuse proceedings with energy. Evans, however, is the clear ringleader of absurdity. From the opening scene, his villainous grin signals an unhinged performance, punctuated by comical oblivion and biting satire aimed at charismatic, manipulative religious leaders.
Evans’ physical comedy reaches new heights, whether barking deranged orders in the nude or giving the word “oui” a delivery sure to enter cult movie legend. The film relishes his transition into a cartoonish buffoon, “America’s ass” recast as a gleeful, arrogant schemer who is as compelling as he is untrustworthy.
Twists, Risks, and the Promise of More
Though the film’s opening may echo structures familiar to crime aficionados, Coen and Cooke gleefully discard formula as Honey’s pursuit of the truth spins into ever stranger territory. As the investigation deepens, audiences are treated to a barrage of surprises, culminating in an ending that is sure to ignite debate. The lack of neat closure breaks from genre convention, hinting instead at a much larger universe—just as the filmmakers originally intended with their trilogy concept.
The final twist refuses to tie up every loose end, instead offering audiences a taste of something unpredictable and wild, embodying both the promise and chaos at the heart of every great caper. “Honey Don’t!” thus stands as more than a standalone mystery; it’s a sharp, sexy, and irreverent expansion of what crime comedies—and their stars—can be in contemporary cinema, leaving viewers keen for whatever comes next from this bold creative team.
“Honey Don’t!” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and opens nationwide on August 22.
