Poor sound quality, broken by frequent and confusing flashbacks, and spoiled by unnecessary and frivolous farts of profanity. Ten uninteresting minutes was about nine minutes more than I could endure.
21 Reviews
Nope. Not For Me, Honeybee.
miltrobinreynolds27 January 2019
Not what I was looking for
bensonmum28 November 2019
The basic plot in Bees Make Honey is fairly routine - Honey (Alice Eve) is convinced that her husband was murdered at last year's Halloween party. To find the killer, she invites the exact same guests to this year's party. But she also invites a police detective to help her unmask a murderer.
It's not that I disliked Bees Make Honey, but it could have been so much better. My biggest issue was the lack of focus. I'm a sucker for a good mystery. But too often, director Jack Eve seemed to turn his attention to anything but the mystery. Give me clues, suspects, motives, etc. - that's what I want. I suppose that what it boils down to is that I wanted a different movie, one with a good old fashioned, drawing room style mystery. Instead, what a I got was a mystery buried under kitchy characters, crazy musical interludes, and bizarre scenes that seem to exist only to be bizarre (a Nazi doing line after line of coke, for example).
I will give Eve credit for ambition. Just a few minutes in and it's easy to see Eve and Bees Make Honey have style to burn. And the movie looks fantastic. Costuming, sets, and lighting are all amazing. Being set during a Halloween party helps create the fantastic imagery. And I was impressed with Eve's sister, Alice Eve, in the lead. She brought real life and energy to Honey. It's too bad her main co-star, Wilf Scolding, couldn't keep up.
5/10
It's not that I disliked Bees Make Honey, but it could have been so much better. My biggest issue was the lack of focus. I'm a sucker for a good mystery. But too often, director Jack Eve seemed to turn his attention to anything but the mystery. Give me clues, suspects, motives, etc. - that's what I want. I suppose that what it boils down to is that I wanted a different movie, one with a good old fashioned, drawing room style mystery. Instead, what a I got was a mystery buried under kitchy characters, crazy musical interludes, and bizarre scenes that seem to exist only to be bizarre (a Nazi doing line after line of coke, for example).
I will give Eve credit for ambition. Just a few minutes in and it's easy to see Eve and Bees Make Honey have style to burn. And the movie looks fantastic. Costuming, sets, and lighting are all amazing. Being set during a Halloween party helps create the fantastic imagery. And I was impressed with Eve's sister, Alice Eve, in the lead. She brought real life and energy to Honey. It's too bad her main co-star, Wilf Scolding, couldn't keep up.
5/10
The Honeypot
boblipton4 November 2021
In 1934, rich London widow Alice Eve throws a wild costume party for her friends. She is very attracted to Wilf Scolding, with whom she is trying, with the aid of commissioner Trevor Eve, to discover who murdered her husband.
Visually, this is a sumptuous effort, reminiscent of DeMille's MADAM SATAN, albeit without a dirigible in a lightning storm. Miss Eve is also a lot sexier than DeMille's lead, although 87 years later, there's really no way to compare them directly The movie uses that sexual heat, as well as a lt of red herrings provided by Miss Eve, to obscure what is going on, to the film's detriment. Still, there is Miss Eve to keep the male gaze riveted.
Visually, this is a sumptuous effort, reminiscent of DeMille's MADAM SATAN, albeit without a dirigible in a lightning storm. Miss Eve is also a lot sexier than DeMille's lead, although 87 years later, there's really no way to compare them directly The movie uses that sexual heat, as well as a lt of red herrings provided by Miss Eve, to obscure what is going on, to the film's detriment. Still, there is Miss Eve to keep the male gaze riveted.
Style without substance
lusciousmuffins7 December 2019
This is one of those movie that's a little bit heartbreaking because, while it succeeds at some elements, it fails miserably at others.
Visually the film is sumptuous, though a tad dark. The team behind it were meticulous when it came to the costumes, the make-up, the cinematography, the set decoration, lighting, and even the editing.
Which begs the question of what went wrong...
Basically, the movie is overacted and not well written. When it comes to the script, it seems like the writers were simply trying too hard, which carries through in the delivery. To be clear, I don't believe the actors failed to achieve the director's vision; the problem is that vision lacked anything even resembling subtlety.
As the movie progresses you end up losing interest quickly because you cannot care about the characters because they aren't really characters so much as caricatures. Instead of fleshed out human beings, the story revolves around one-dimensional cartoon like people.
Consequently, whether they live or die, whether or not they're guilty, whether or not they seem happy or sad affects the viewer very little.
Put another way, there is simply no one in this movie you feel emotionally invested in.
In the end, this film feels like a missed opportunity. If the people behind it had invested half as much time on the story as they did on its appearance, it could have been brilliant; instead, it's tedious.
Confused but interesting
petkanasw18 April 2021
This looks like an attempt at farce and absurdist comedy but is too confused and doesn't make sense, even in its own world. One moment it's trying to be Oscar Wilde and the next, Rocky Horror but for all the overacting and deliberately stilted language if fails. What it does have is engaging visual appeal; the costumes and sets are stunning, as is the lead, Alice Eve.
A wasted opportunity
movie_ape20 November 2020
The music is awful.
The costumes are too low cut and revealing for the period 1930.
The language is unnecessarily vulgar, again not fitting the period. And no, it doesn't suddenly make the movie 'funny' because your lead actor swears a lot. The acting is over the top, and the editing was jumpy.
The camera cuts and scene changes to flashbacks are confusing. And did I mention for a comedy it is rather odd that it isn't funny?
2/10 an insult to the audience
The costumes are too low cut and revealing for the period 1930.
The language is unnecessarily vulgar, again not fitting the period. And no, it doesn't suddenly make the movie 'funny' because your lead actor swears a lot. The acting is over the top, and the editing was jumpy.
The camera cuts and scene changes to flashbacks are confusing. And did I mention for a comedy it is rather odd that it isn't funny?
2/10 an insult to the audience
Absurdist cool
jhaswell-274502 July 2018
Raucous and unique. It's non linear, which I like in films. My two cents is to jump into the world and enjoy. The music is rad. Alice Eve is totally hot as usual. It's like a rocky horror picture show vibe without the set piece songs. There are some really funny scenes, but the language is hard to follow sometimes. I think it's clever though and totally absurdist.
Couldn't Watch It
karisablake18 July 2021
Terrible sound quality. We couldn't hear the dialogue at all and had to keep turning it way up to hear what the characters were saying and then turning it way down whenever the music came on.
The move was advertised as a murder mystery comedy, but it was not funny at all? May I suggest Clue, which is hilarious.
The move was advertised as a murder mystery comedy, but it was not funny at all? May I suggest Clue, which is hilarious.
Unexpectedly audacious
devorect925 February 2019
Fantastic ride all the way through that had me smiling as I tried to figure out how they were going to solve the mystery. It's all over the place and doesn't take itself too seriously. On top of that it has the most intense bobbing for apples sequence I have ever seen.
Hilarious? Really? I must not getting it.
deloudelouvain24 September 2021
In my previous review I wrote it was a long time since I watched a real stinker. I guess I managed to watch two stinkers in a row after watching Bees Make Honey. This one is just a very boring and dull movie. Some people found it hilarious. I guess I have another definition of hilarious. I didn't laugh once for the simple reason that it's just not funny. The acting wasn't bad if you don't mind watching something that looks like a play. They tried all kind of different camera techniques which didn't work at all. Sometimes trying to be clever has the opposite effect, like in this case. It's just not the right kind of story for these techniques. The sound was also not great, going from normal volume to way too silent, bad editing if you ask me. If you like boring movies where almost nothing happens, where the dialogues sound like they speak another language than ours, where they're going on and on about things you could have resolved in two seconds, then be my guest and watch this. But if you look for quality then just skip this one.
Fun genre flick
stephenk-165962 July 2018
Obviously no drag queens or indie music in 1930's... ??? Think you might be missing the point dude. I think it's a cool new take on a fun film noir theme. Loved the music! Think everyones missing the point. I thought it was fun to watch. Just for that I'm giving it an 8. It's clearly a genre flick. Good job from first time director.
I'm not sure what to make of what I just watched...
mommyplum26 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
So, my husband and I love mysteries set in the past - 20s, 30s, 40s especially. So when we heard about this film, described as a comedy mystery set in 1934 England, we couldn't wait to see it. Twenty min in, we seriously discussed just turning it off, but ultimately stuck it out. I'm not sure we made the right decision. The story set up seems fairly straightforward, a beautiful heiress named Honey enlists the help of a police detective in solving the murder of her beloved husband one year ago at the couple's annual Halloween masquerade. To that end, she throws another party which is the copy of the one her husband died at to every detail, down to the guest list, certain it will result in a solution. The detective is to don her late husband's last costume and ferret out a culprit before the sun comes up. Sounds good, right? But...oh boy, is it not. Stylistically, it's pretty visually stunning and campily noir. That's where the fun ends. Every character delivers their lines like they're in a community play and every bit of dialogue is SO over written it's exhausting. Also, the film suddenly veers into weird surreal moments that come out of nowhere - like where a French chanteuse enters the room where the detective has been taken hostage and blithely tells a story about her first love that has a punchline like a bad vaudeville routine, then departs. No explanation, no point to her having been there, no thought as to why she hasn't noticed the danger of the situation. Nothing. Or the scene where the detective finds out Honey may have lied about what day her birthday is (turns out in the end she had not) and becomes so unglued by the possible untruth he has what looks like a panic attack and passes out. My husband was convinced he must have been drugged, but, no, it's shown to be just a panic attack. Why? Would an an experienced policeman really lose his bearings so severely when told someone may have lied during an investigation? Wouldn't he be used to that? Then there's the sudden, glaringly loud inclusions of punk and rock music in the 1930s setting that serves no purpose whatsoever. Don't even get me started on the scene where 3 of the murderers engage in a madcap montage of snorting coke with the heiress' beautiful and unwitting friend (she doesn't know they're the villains) to more punk music. It's like several people got together with wildly different ideas for a movie - modern camp noir, madcap satire, surreal arthouse and stylish British mystery - then couldn't decide what to choose and just said, let's mash them all in a blender, press frappe and put it on screen. Then there's the fact they all keep saying the heroine's husband was stabbed to death in their mansion kitchen...and when we finally see the kitchen it is an almost empty room with an old fridge, a table and...nothing else. No stove, no range, no equipment. Is this a secondary kitchen? Where are the caterers staging all the food and drink for the massive party that's been raging? By the time the detective and the heiress solve the mystery (hint, it involves a hastily explained plan about pre-World War II nazi sympathizers wanting to buy the mansion for Hitler, which makes zero sense, and wanting to bump off Honey and her husband to get it) and fall for each other to live happily ever after, you'll be glad it's over.
What was this?
kipper-1221 February 2022
I cannot tell what this movie was trying to achieve. It was not funny or even entertaining; I had the impression all along I was watching a theatre performance on stage rather than a film.
Art direction and set decoration were pretty good, but that's no reason to recommend it.
Art direction and set decoration were pretty good, but that's no reason to recommend it.
Hilarious with a strong female lead - loved!
lylesarah2 July 2018
Alice Eve's Honey is witty and cool and the story centres around her. This Honey doesn't use sex or violence to get what she wants, she uses her guile and cunning. I liked the rock n roll aspect to it. Me and my girlfriends had fun watching it on our girls night. LOVE Hermione Corfield!
Cheeky... Not your typical grieving widow.
fembell903 July 2018
Had fun watching this with my family. Busy and interesting. Incredible set design and felt cheeky the whole way through. Alice Eve jumps off the screen, but the whole cast really delivers great performances. Baz Lurman meets Highclere Castle meets punk rock.
English wit and great female lead
jesskayfem2 July 2018
Alice Eve is underrated I feel. She is clearly such a movie star when you watch this. She was strong and sexy without falling into traditional female traps written by men. I think it was her brother who wrote this? Great if they are related. It's super fast paced. Music was seriously cool. Would watch with friends again.
10 / 10 Love EVE!
natjo-017792 July 2018
Giving this a 10 because I don't understand how someone could give it a 1. Really different feeling to this film. Love Alice Eve in it and I actually like the writing (unlike the other reviewer) and thought it was easy to follow. I get how this film can feel too fast paced at times, but I think that's some of the charm. Love strong female leads!!! The 1 must have come from a guy who can't stand the heat with a queen bee like Eve is on the screen.
Watch and Enjoy
davidweiss-8013725 December 2018
This is a fun, lively and enjoyable watch. Alice Eve is wonderful and quirky as lead. I only found out watching her recently in Iron Fist that she was Trevor Eves (Eddie Shoestring and Waking the Dead) daughter and a characristic of the family is that they are always 100% committed to their work. This is apparently the directorial debut of Alices brother Jack Eve and he keeps the pace fast and the music a great mix of classic 30's and modern which all fits perfectly. Wilf Scolding is perfect as the classic english detective. Brilliant movie, well worth seeing and deserves a sequel.
Fun, Stylistic, and Fast
spanmatt24 October 2018
This film should be watched as you would watch a play. Don't take it too seriously and have fun with it. The characters are exaggerated, the acting is over the top, and the each scene is dynamic.
The filming of this movie is what held my attention. There are a number of different camera angles that add to the light feeling this film has, and each transition feels purposeful. The music flowed well between big-band and modern but at times stuck out too much.
My only critics are that the speech was not in the accent at all times and that the volume of the music was sometimes too loud when compared to the actors. Over all this was a fun movie to watch if you're a fan of the murder mysteries.
Original, unique, and charming.
eddiekristan24 January 2020
I really enjoyed this movie! It was different: non-linear, anachronistic, and highly original. The blend of dark-comedy, whodunit, and emotional intrigue would please any fan of Pushing Daisies. Alice Eve was an amazing leading lady, and the supporting cast was also charming.
Delightful comedic whodunnit
mick-shea29 March 2021
This is a surprisingly good movie! It is offbeat, a stutter step if you want, with absurd overtones that are great fun if you enjoy the comedy. With homages to Chaplin and Bogart it follows a plotline for a murder mystery, but it is so much more. Great scenery, great music though I would have preferred more of it. The songs were just segments, and a few of the set pieces had enough energy to extend a bit longer perhaps. The acting was quite good, and the costumes and sets fit perfectly.
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