In Honey Bunch, directors Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli take viewers on one hell of a messy and mind-bending ride. The film follows married couple, Diana (Grace Glowicki) and Homer (Ben Petrie), on what seems to be a medical retreat to heal Diana’s leg injury and lost memories. The couple appear to be happy but deeply at odds with one another when it comes to their philosophies about love. Diana is more pragmatic about it, viewing excessive expression as performative and untrustworthy. She questions whether Homer demands equal expression from her as a need for control or validation. Homer views his devotion to her as the ultimate form of commitment and romance. His eyes glisten when he tells her how much he loves her and would do anything to protect her, but Diana is disturbed by the intensity of it.
The backdrop of their odd personalities and obsessions with high academia is the mystical treatment center, adorned in the architectural style somewhere between Strawberry Hill House and Georgian aesthetic. The atmosphere is haunting and suspicious; Diana is meant to feel safe and comfortable, but she is seeing things that she can’t explain, and Homer is gaslighting the hell out of her over it. When I tell you that I had no clue where this movie was headed, I am not exaggerating! The twist in this film was so original and unexpected that I had to stop myself from yelling at the screen. What I enjoyed most was that Homer and Diana had me question my own morality over and over. The film takes the viewer on a journey so chaotic that, by the end, you don’t know who or what to root for.
Both Glowicki and Petrie give great performances, with notable scenes from the legend Jason Issacs, but it is Petrie who really got under my skin. That man was so creepy in all the right ways, and I hope to see him in more roles like this.
Where the film shines is its honest exploration of agency in marriage and questions whether or not there is a line too far when it comes to loving someone. The areas I feel could have been better are if the directors hadn’t used so many zoom-in shots. Don’t get me wrong, they worked in some scenes, but eventually it felt like an overused gimmick that made scenes meant to be scary or eerie feel like a comedy. The same issue happens with the use of music; there were so many scenes that could have been more creepy and scary if there was no sound, it also would have added more mystery to some of the characters’ nature.
That being said, I am still adding this to my Letterbox as a spooky season must-watch! If you are drawn to films that have a strong message, keep you guessing and are equal parts weird and thrilling, this is the one for you.
Enjoy!
Honey Bunch is playing at TIFF ’25. For more information, click here.
