This is Coen 101. In the best way. The story beats are easy to see coming if you're familiar with their previous work. Yet the ride is really fun nonetheless. All the characters in this movie are pretty funny and well written. Even the ones that don't get a ton of screen time like Bill Camp as Curly or



I'll give it an 8.1 / 10. If you like Coens movies (together or solo), you will like this, if you don't then you won't.

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Joel Coen's review of Drive Away Dolls.

I thought this was fine. Liked it was relatively short but didn't feel half baked.

I don't consider myself a prude, but the desperation with which Drive-Away Dolls tries to be raunchy was a bit off-putting. It feels about as forced as the attempts at generating laughs. Most of the jokes did not land for me. The humor relies too much on shock value rather than clever wit or genuine comedic timing.

The excessive use of psychedelic scenes takes away from the overall viewing experience and fails to enhance the storyline in any meaningful way. It seems like they're there just to pad out the short runtime, but they only slow the film down.

I'm a fan of Margaret Qualley (she gave one of the best performances of 2023 in Sanctuary), but her portrayal in Drive-Away Dolls came across as an overly exaggerated caricature. It's not her fault; it's how the character was written. I know it's a comedy, but it just didn't work for me. I would have preferred a more genuine and nuanced depiction.

I also found the romantic relationship between the two main characters to feel forced. It lacked chemistry and depth, coming across as contrived and unconvincing. However, I do commend the film for being so unapologetically queer. Having lesbian main characters was one of the selling points for me.

I grew up in a time when the only LGBTQ characters in mainstream films were supporting roles, usually as the stereotypical gay best friend who was only allowed to be there for the main character and not have a life of their own. Drive-Away Dolls is a reminder of how far we've come in terms of inclusivity and diversity in cinema. I hope to see more films like this in the future, albeit better quality ones, where LGBTQ characters are not just a token presence but individuals with their own stories and journeys. I'm still so used to how things used to be that it still feels a bit radical to see a mainstream gay film.

I was excited for Drive-Away Dolls, but unfortunately, it just tries too hard and falls short. While it's somewhat amusing, so much just doesn't work for me. It's disappointing when a film with so much potential ends up feeling like a missed opportunity.

C