Ethan Coen’s gritty, blood-soaked detective noir “Honey Don’t!,” starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Evans, made its electrifying debut at Cannes on Friday night. The film was met with a raucous midnight reception, culminating in a six-minute standing ovation. Writer Tricia Cooke captured the mood perfectly, exclaiming: “More queer cinema all the time!”
“That’s a fun way to end the festival,” Coen remarked as he took the microphone, his voice tinged with amusement while calming the enthusiastic crowd. “And short, for a movie that started after midnight. Very humane.”
Indeed, the 90-minute “Honey Don’t!” didn’t begin until nearly 12:30 a.m., following a half-hour delay entering the Palais. Yet, the Cannes audience seemed unfazed by the wait, erupting into cheers as Coen, Qualley, Plaza, and the rest of the team finally entered the theater. Every producer and distributor credit was met with vigorous applause before the film began.
One particularly vocal audience member shouted, “I love you Aubrey!”— a heartfelt tribute to Plaza, marking her first red carpet appearance since the passing of her husband, Jeff Baena, earlier this year. The moment underscored the warmth and solidarity of the Cannes community.
Margaret Qualley’s husband, music producer Jack Antonoff, was also in attendance, urging the crowd to clap louder as she giggled during the ovation. As the credits rolled, it was revealed that Antonoff and Coen had collaborated on three original songs for the film, performed by Qualley—one of which evoked the haunting allure of Lana Del Rey.
Qualley anchors “Honey Don’t!” as Honey O’Donahue, a small-town private detective whose investigation into a series of strange deaths leads her to a mysterious church. Evans, absent from the Cannes premiere, delivers an over-the-top comedic performance as the church’s charismatic yet sinister minister. Plaza plays a cop embroiled in a passionate but tumultuous love affair with Qualley’s character, only for their relationship to unravel when her niece mysteriously disappears. Supporting roles are filled by Charlie Day and Billy Eichner, adding layers of humor and intrigue.
“Honey Don’t!” marks the second collaboration between Coen and Qualley, following last year’s road trip crime comedy “Drive-Away Dolls.” Both films feature Coen directing solo, without brother Joel, and scripts co-written by Ethan and his wife Tricia Cooke.
In preparation for her role, Qualley told i-D ahead of Cannes that she had to temper her “natural Scooby-Doo” instincts to embody Honey, who is “skillful, smooth, slipping in and out undetected… I had to be a little more suave than I am, more mysterious. I tend to want to diffuse things before they even happen.”
With distribution secured through Focus Features, “Honey Don’t!” is set to open in U.S. theaters on August 22. It promises to be a thrilling addition to the cinematic landscape, blending sharp wit, provocative themes, and unforgettable performances.
