Rated R

The story follows a private investigator looking into the death of a young woman. The trail leads her into dark territory, featuring international drug dealers, a corrupt pastor, and the seedy underbelly of society.

This is Ethan Coen’s second outing without his brother Joel along for the ride, and it feels like a substandard solo album from an artist who left the band. There’s a level of quirkiness you expect, but it lands with a heavy thud more often than not.

The story explores some intriguing elements, but its connective tissue is flimsy, delivering a rambling mystery that keeps having to remind you what the mystery actually is. Plus it tries too hard to be edgy, but only in a way that would have been sensational way back in the 90s.

I appreciate the bold attempt for a noir thriller under the blazing sun of the southern California desert, but in a lot of ways it feels more like an imitation than standalone film.

HONEY DON’T gets two clues out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

Subscribe in iTunes

Email the Show