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Honey Don't!

Honey Don't!

She only has two desires, and one of them is justice.

202589 minRMidcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Director
Ethan Coen
Starring
Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Lera Abova

Honey O'Donahue, a small-town private investigator, delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Honey Don't!?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Honey Don't! streaming on Netflix and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Honey Don't!?

Honey Don't! earns 4 badges, led by Overhyped and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Honey Don't! worth watching?

Honey Don't!'s Midcredits score is the 14th percentile of all films, from 315K ratings across 6 sources. 24% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

14th percentile

Better received than 14% of films

13th percentile among Comedy15th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)17th
Approval (how many liked it)14th

50 /100

17th percentile of all films

17th percentile among Comedy20th percentile among 2020s

Critics 46 · Audience 50

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

Approval

How many liked it

24% liked it

14th percentile of all films

12th percentile among Comedy15th percentile among 2020s
24% rated it 7–1076% rated it 1–6

Critics 45% · Audience 39%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

98th percentile

315K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Comedy98th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$20M
Opening weekend$3M
Domestic gross$5.8M
Worldwide gross$7.5M

Returned 0.4× its budget — 69th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree it's a slight, quirk-driven throwaway with a thin plot and heavy reliance on style and banter over substance.

Fans praised

  • Hip savviness pervades every frame
  • Knowingly light, funny mock-escapist thriller with a flaky good time
  • Qualley's cool, slick, wildly charismatic performance as Honey

Detractors panned

  • Empty at its core, gags with nowhere to go
  • Beige aesthetic, limp dialogue, glib let's-just-vibe attitude
  • Derivative story with banal dialogue and weak mystery

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

Qualley charismatic, Plaza wish-fulfillment, Day's squawk; detractors find cast wasted on thin material

AtmosphereDivisive65

Hip, knowing tone and flaky vibe; detractors find it glib and empty

Pacing60

Slender runtime, brisk 1.5 hours; some feel it meanders without momentum

HumorDivisive55

Silly recurring jokes, comedic twist deaths; lands for fans, falls flat for others

CharactersDivisive55

Quirky characters like Rev. Drew and MG, but penned as gags without depth

DialogueDivisive45

Quippy banter and witty violence; detractors call it limp and banal

Plot and storyDivisive30

Whodunit premise engaging for some, but ultimately forgettable and derivative

Originality25

Derivative of predecessor and genre tropes, no original bone

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 11 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Honey Don't! like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark comedy: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to laugh at things you probably shouldn't.

It leaves you angry.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Dark comedy.

Moods
AbsurdTense
Heaviest: middle
Dark humor
The answer rests on this: Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneA send-up of 1940s noir that plays its eccentric characters and convoluted plot with a detached, knowing wink, mixing violent set-pieces with dark comedy.
The rideThe film's tone is described as knowingly light and comedic, but with violent and dark undercurrents that may escalate mid-journey.
StructureThe story follows a conventional detective investigation structure, albeit with a messy and disjointed execution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Angry.

Infuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.Unsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's wasted potential, incoherent plot, and unresolved threads leave a frustrating and unsettling impression.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% (this title) · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeHoney O'Donahue, a private investigator, looks into a suspicious auto accident that leads to a serial killer and a drug operation, following clues in a neo-noir whodunit.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsTruth · 4% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe central romantic relationship between the two women drives the road trip, while the investigation into a mysterious church touches on the search for truth, though lightly.
StanceThe film appears to observe its characters' quirky, amoral escapades without strong judgment, as evidenced by critics noting a 'let's-just-vibe-with-it' attitude.

The world

ContemporaryIn transitRealistic
JazzSupportive music · original score · Carter Burwell
SettingAn American road trip, unspecified route
MusicCarter Burwell's score likely provides a jazzy, offbeat accompaniment that matches the film's hip, comedic tone.

Content guide

Is Honey Don't! okay for kids?

R

Honey Don't! is rated R: “Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, some strong violence, and language” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (76/100), sexual content at intense (71/100), language at severe (82/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (57/100) and frightening material at moderate (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 76% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Israel16
  • Netherlands16
  • PRR
  • Spain18
  • VIR
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 85% of all filmsHeavier than 76% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 58%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 89%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 77%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 73%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 44%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Honey Don't! have?

MovieCove's classifier found 4 depicted content warnings in Honey Don't!, all withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

Cast and crew

Who is in Honey Don't!?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Margaret Qualley
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Aubrey Plaza
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Chris Evans
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lera Abova
Jacnier
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Gabby Beans
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Talia Ryder
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Charlie Day
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Kristen Connolly
Josh Pafchek
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

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What are movies like Honey Don't!?

TMDB's suggestions for movies like Honey Don't! include Wake Up Dead Man (2025), Breathless (2012) and Crooked House (2017).

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Honey Don't!?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.