Ethan Coen’s neo-noir dark comedy caper Honey Don’t! entertainingly blends B-movie detective tropes with a cohort of kooky characters to produce a twister narrative with a blood-soaked conclusion. Starring Margaret Qualley in the тιтle role, Honey Don’t! chronicles modern detective Honey O’Donahue’s loose pursuit of a suspected murder case in Bakersfield, CA.

As a private investigator, Honey isn’t formally responsible for solving any case, although she begins snooping when a woman mysteriously dies in a car crash a day before she was scheduled to meet with Honey. Her pursuit of the real reason behind the woman’s death sees her brush up against several characters with varying degrees of connection.

Aubrey Plaza’s MG Falcone works in the police station that Honey frequents when she needs information, and the two develop a casual romantic relationship in extremely short order. Honey also finds herself entangled in the strange disappearance of her niece Corinne (Talia Ryder), which leads her to the local religious cult leader, Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans).

As Honey pulls on the thread surrounding Devlin’s dastardly divinity and the drug operation he runs out of the back of his church, she discovers that he has been preying on vulnerable women for quite some time, suspecting her niece to be among them. However, in the movie’s climax, Honey discovers that Devlin is not the only person in Bakersfield who poses a threat to women.

Why MG Falcone Was Killing Girls

Upon going to MG’s (short for Mary Grace) house after not getting any response via text or phone call, Honey finds an anxious and confrontational MG, along with a cup of tea with her niece’s lipstick on it. Honey realizes at that moment that MG has actually been responsible for killing vulnerable women in the area, which leads to a physical confrontation that leaves Honey stabbed in the stomach and MG sH๏τ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

As MG angrily explains to Honey, she stood up for herself against her conservative military father in the past, killing him in cold blood after a lifetime of abuse and refusal to accept her Sєxual orientation. There is a heavy implication (based on the yearbook quote that Honey finds in MG’s house) that MG had previously been connected with the church, which no doubt was forced upon her.

Her loose and questionable motivation for kidnapping or killing women like Mia Novotny (the supposed initial car crash victim and a member of Devlin’s church) was that she was targeting them specifically because they were vulnerable and willing to turn to the church in their moment of doubt. MG killed them out of a misguided, pseudo-feminist rage brought on by her own traumatic upbringing.

What’s Going To Happen To Honey Next?

The movie ends with Honey meeting Cher (Lera Abova), the femme fatale agent of the “French” drug cartel that Devlin worked for, at a stoplight. At that time, she was aware of Cher’s involvement with Devlin’s church, having seen her leave the building after hearing a gunsH๏τ. However, she flirts heavily with Cher at the stoplight, inquiring where she’s going and how much time she has.

The implication is that Honey intends to entice Cher into casual Sєx, adding to the long list of conquests she keeps in a Rolodex on her desk. However, it remains unclear if Honey is actually trying to get more information on Devlin and his church. Based on what we saw of Honey in the preceding hour and twenty minutes or so, it seems likely that the correct answer is both.

She is certainly interested in Cher physically, but is undoubtedly aware that Devlin is some sort of predator or at least is bad news for the women in the area. Honey seems interested enough in justice to perhaps pursue Devlin and his endgame for the greater good, as she doesn’t seem overly concerned about being paid for her detective work, so it seems likely she has ulterior motives in meeting up with Cher.

Does Anyone Know Reverend Drew Devlin Died?

Cher killed Reverend Devlin with nobody around, and although Honey heard the gunsH๏τ, Officer Marty Metakawich (Charlie Day) didn’t deem it enough for her to enter the church and pursue it further. In theory, nobody knows that Devlin was killed, although as mentioned above, that could be Honey’s primary motivation for trying to involve herself with Cher.

Most everyone who worked for or with Devlin, from Hector and Shuggie to Big Little Joey and Little Joey, Jr., is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ or grieving. There doesn’t seem to be anyone who knows that Devlin is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ when the movie ends, so unless Honey unearths the truth about Cher’s murder and the larger drug ring, Devlin will remain until one of his other parishioners discovers him.

The Real Meaning Of Honey Don’t

Honey Don’t! struggles with coherence and congruence with its varying plot threads, as noted on Rotten Tomatoes, and as a result the thematic depth is relatively shallow. The movie is mostly concerned with its characters, desert noir aesthetic, and outrageous moments of Sєx and violence, none of which are problematic on their own, but don’t yield a satisfying ending or takeaway.

The hypocrisy of religion is certainly prevalent, as Chris Evans’ slimy reverend is a caricature of clergy members who take advantage of their flock, either via grift or Sєxual abuse. In that same vein, conservative politics and the resulting social injustices are under fire, as they are loosely pointed to as the reason for MG Falcone’s murderous nature.

Ultimately Honey Don’t! focuses more on what Coen hopes is a riveting homage to film-noir and 1970s B-movie tropes, which are certainly present and prevalent. However, there isn’t enough connecting the various fun elements of the movie to glean any sort of powerful metaphors or morals from the greater narrative.