One of the funniest comedies of 2024 didn’t get the love it deserved when it was first released, but it could be just a matter of time before it finds its audience and becomes a cult classic. Although it’s usually difficult to anticipate which movies will achieve cult status, some offbeat films just seem naturally suited to the tag.

A lot has been said about the decline of Hollywood comedies, as the genre has become less commercially viable and overall less popular in recent years. This makes it even more disappointing when a great comedy manages to fly under the radar. Fortunately, a poor initial showing doesn’t necessarily condemn a movie to obscurity forever.

Drive-Away Dolls Deserves A Lot More Love Than It Got

Ethan Coen’s First Solo Outing Was A Box Office Flop

Although Drive-Away Dolls made just $7.9 million at the box office, it deserves much more attention. Joel Coens first movie without his brother Ethan beside him showed that he was probably the one behind the duos fixation with crime comedies. Indeed, Drive-Away Dolls shares common DNA with many of the best Coen brothers movies, like Fargo and Raising Arizona.

While Drive-Away Dolls has a lot in common with old Coen brothers classics, Ethan clearly has his own agenda. He doesn’t seem too interested in depth and pathos in Drive-Away Dolls, preferring instead to develop a proudly silly crime caper with a freewheeling sense of adventure. By contrast, Joel Coen made The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Drive-Away Dolls is a zany, unpredictable comedy that packs a lot of humor into its slender runtime. Margaret Qualley delivers a fun performance, but she’s just one part of a great cast that also includes Colman Domingo, Beanie Feldstein and Geraldine Viswanathan. There are surprising cameos too, from Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal and Miley Cyrus.

One other thing that Coen carries over from his previous movies is a sense of style. The music, framing and psychedelic interludes in Drive-Away Dolls make it a relentlessly entertaining affair, but its quirks are also an essential part of its idenтιтy. It’s intentionally provocative and intriguing in the best way.

Drive-Away Dolls Is Already Getting A Spiritual Sequel

Ethan Coen And Margaret Qualley Are Teaming Up Again

Ethan Coen described Drive-Away Dolls as the first part in his planned “lesbian B-movie trilogy“, and the second part is on the horizon. Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza and Charlie Day will join Qualley in Honey Don’t, which looks like another queer crime comedy about a detective’s investigation into a charismatic cult leader.

With Honey Don’t and a potential third entry in Coen’s trilogy on the way, Drive-Away Dolls could finally reach the kind of audience that it deserves. It was never the kind of movie that has huge mainstream appeal, but it’s quirky, queer and lighthearted, which gives it a good chance of resonating with certain people.