Summary

• Despite Coen's Hollywood status, Drive-Away Dolls failed to impress in its box office debut.
• The film blends crime capers with raunchy comedy, which may have ed for some mixed reviews.
• Drive-Away Dolls' lack of marketing may have also contributed to its underwhelming opening weekend.

Despite Ethan Coen's impressive Hollywood track record, the director's new movie, Drive-Away Dolls, bombed at the box office over its opening weekend. Notably, Coen is one half of the Coen brothers — an Oscar-winning directing duo composed of Ethan and Joel Coen. While Drive-Away Dolls marks Ethan Coen's solo directorial debut for a feature film, he co-wrote the screenplay with his partner Tricia Cooke, who has also worked as an editor on numerous classic Coen brothers' films, including Miller's Crossing, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. Unfortunately, their team-up hasn't panned out from a financial perspective.

In the early 2000s, Cooke and Coen pitched the idea for Drive-Away Dolls to indie film director Allison Anders (Border Radio, Gas Food Lodging), but the lesbian road trip comedy never acquired the necessary funding. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the husband-wife duo revisited the project, and, by 2022, it was announced that Coen would direct the resulting film. Drawing from Cooke's lived experiences as well as the satirical, absurdist bent that makes the Coen brothers' movies so popular, Drive-Away Dolls had a rough opening weekend, grossing just $2.5 million.

7 Drive-Away Dolls' Reviews Weren't Great

Billed as a lesbian road-trip comedy, Drive-Away Dolls also borrows much of its narrative thrust from Coen brothers-style crime capers, making for an absurd, over-the-top (and all-over-the-place) plot. Margaret Qualley (Maid) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers) play Jamie and Marian, two young-adult lesbian best friends who hit the road to visit Marian's aunt in Tallahassee. After a comical mix-up, the pair wind up on the run from mobsters who are intent on reclaiming a mysterious briefcase that's fallen into Jamie and Marian's hands.

Despite an exhilarating, hilarious premise, Drive-Away Dolls has received decidedly mixed reviews from critics. Post-opening weekend, Drive-Away Dolls' Rotten Tomatoes score fell to 66%. While it's still certified fresh, Drive-Away Dolls is one of Ethan Coen's lowest-rated movies. Meanwhile, the audience consensus is even less promising: viewers' ratings have landed Drive-Away Dolls a rotten 34%. Although reviews aren't everything, the less-than-promising ratings have no doubt dissuaded other would-be movie-goers from seeing the film in theaters over its opening weekend — and there may be no bouncing back from that hit.

6 Drive-Away Dolls' Marketing Didn't Give It Much Of A Chance

Although Ethan Coen is a significant name, it's clear from Drive-Away Dolls' history that it took a lot of effort to secure funding for the queer-led film. In today's landscape, LGBTQ+ projects are struggling to acquire feature-film-level funding or escape early cancelations on streaming. While it's significant that Drive-Away Dolls got made, the movie didn't have a blockbuster marketing budget behind it. Moreover, the marketing efforts that do exist don't do the best job of capturing the movie's singular spirit (or even Drive-Away Dolls' timeline). Unfortunately, that's exactly what makes or breaks films' box office potential.

5 Drive-Away Dolls Didn't Have A Lot Of Star Power

According to critics, one of the most successful parts of Drive-Away Dolls is the chemistry between its leads, Jamie (Qualley) and Marian (Viswanathan). However, on-screen chemistry doesn't always correlate to ticket sales; often, viewers want to know a film's stars before paying to see it. Viswanathan had a breakout performance in the 2018 teen sex comedy Blockers and, more recently, made waves in The Beanie Bubble, while Qualley earned acclaim for her starring turn in Netflix's Maid as well as roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Fosse/Verdon, The Leftovers, and the Oscar-nominated Poor Things.

Even so, neither of Miley Cyrus makes a Drive-Away Dolls cameo. Unfortunately, the film's marketing strategy doesn't really capitalize on any of these well-known names.

4 Drive-Away Dolls Only Had 1 Coen Brother

In true Coen brothers' fashion, Drive-Away Dolls' cast of characters are eclectic and idiosyncratic. But that isn't the only Coen brothers' hallmark the film boasts. From its unique mash-up of tones to its darkly comedic turns and brutal violence, Drive-Away Dolls has a lot in common with other comedies from Ethan Coen's filmography. However, it's possible that being Ethan Coen's solo outing hurt Drive-Away Dolls' box-office performance more than it helped it. For viewers who want a Coen brothers movie — replete with both their strengths and flourishes — Drive-Away Dolls might be lacking.

3 Drive-Away Dolls' Commitment To B-Movie Nostalgia Doesn't Always Work

If anything, Drive-Away Dolls is committed brutal deaths and B-movie nostalgia. From its gimmicky transitions to its unapologetic, sex-positive comedy, Drive-Away Dolls is a partial ode to John Waters films and lesbian cult-classics like But I'm A Cheerleader. The love for both '90s indie queer cinema and pulpy, '70s-style romance thrillers is packed into Cooke and Coen's movie, but that doesn't mean it always translates perfectly. For some viewers, the movie's commitment to going "all in" on the B-movie aesthetic might feel distracting — or, even worse, like it's not done intentionally.

2 Drive-Away Dolls' Raunchy Humor May Not Land For All Viewers

The fact that a movie's jokes might not land with all viewers is the inherent risk all comedies take. The risk feels even greater for Drive-Away Dolls, with its singular voice and desire for specificity. Jamie, who constantly detours the road-trip to look for casual hookups, is always (and unapologetically) thinking about sex. It's a rare slice of representation — for women and queer folks alike. However, much like Drive-Away Dolls underscores with its narrative, some people feel threatened by raunchy jokes and sex when the topics center on women and queer folks.

1 Drive-Away Dolls' Mash-Up Of Tones & Genres Is A Risk

Much like 2023's queer teen sex comedy Bottoms, Drive-Away Dolls derives much of its humor and tone from its absurd antics. From what's in the briefcase in Drive-Away Dolls' ending to the hyperbolic violence, the movie never shies away from "going there." Mashing up that absurdity with an idiosyncratic crime caper isn't necessarily a surprising move from one half of the Coen brothers, but blending genres and tones is always risky business. While some viewers will balk at the mash-up, others will find Drive-Away Dolls' unmistakable feel to be the makings of a new cult classic.