A few years ago, the shocking revelation was that Joel and Ethan Coen, the proverbial two-headed director, were splitting and pursuing independent careers after nearly thirty years of working together. Joel Coen went on to make The Tragedy of Macbeth, a formally offbeat, German Expressionism-inspired adaptation of the greatest play in the history of the English language, while Ethan Coen set off on his journey, starting with a little-seen documentary on rock-‘n’-roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, and now followed by his sophomore solo directorial effort, the long-gestating Drive-Away Dolls, which he conceived with his wife and creative partner Tricia Cooke several years ago, but only managed to bring to fruition now. Taking inspiration from a number of different sources, Coen and Cooke (the latter being cited as the unofficial co-director – the immense irony that after years of being prevented from being credited as a director on their films, Ethan Coen is now in another situation where a co-director is not allowed to be credited) cobble together a thrilling and hilarious comedy that centres on queer issues, with Cooke (who identifies as a lesbian) bringing a lot of her firsthand knowledge of the queer subject matter – whether history, terminology or more intangible concepts relating to the experiences of those with supposedly deviant sexual proclivities, something that factors into the film in interesting ways, telling the story of two young women whose road trip is filled with obstacles neither of them could see coming, primarily because they accidentally become embroiled in a sinister criminal conspiracy. Drive-Away Dolls is certainly not perfect, and a lot of its ideas play as mere reiterations of popular concepts that don’t carry too much weight or gravity outside of being entertaining. Yet, what it lacks in precision it more than makes up for in raw, unfiltered ambition, and proves that even when working independently, the same spark of controlled chaos is present in Ethan Coen’s work.

One of the most admirable qualities of the work the Coen Brothers made over the years is its diversity – while there were common threads that connected a number of their films, for the most part, their work was quite different, whether in terms of genre or style. Drive-Away Dolls continues this trend, being an exceptionally well-formed piece of filmmaking that draws inspiration from several different genres, which Coen and Cooke were quite open about, mentioning films like Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill and the iconic work of John Waters (and exploitation cinema in general) as their primary inspiration, in addition to the obvious attempts to riff on the thematic structure made so wildly popular by Thelma & Louise over thirty years ago. Coen has a keen eye for detail, and the most exciting aspect of the films that he and his brother made that aimed to be pastiches of popular genres or homages to iconic films is that they were able to pay tribute without being weak carbon copies, or even directly referential. Instead, it is about capturing the essence of these works and bringing them to life in their distinct style. Undeniably, Drive-Away Dolls is one of the more eccentric, off-the-wall efforts, and about as far from a sobering, serious film as one can get – the Coen Brothers often tended to break the monotony of producing more complex works with occasional diversions into these quirkier, more inconsequential stories, and this film follows this trajectory, being a loving and hilarious tribute to the kind of cheaply-made crime comedies that were filled to the brim with graphic violence and sex (although still managing to maintain some modicum of decency), and were purely there to push the boundaries of cinema. Designed as a means to challenge the status quo, albeit, in a way that is insightful and well-crafted (rather than just being a jumble of ideas), Drive-Away Dolls proves to be a far more endearing effort than we may have expected, particularly because of the attention to detail we find throughout.

Casting has always been key for the Coen Brothers, and Drive-Away Dolls is certainly not an exception. Once again, we find a few actors doing career-best work, which may come as a surprise based on a cursory glance. To lead this film, Coen and Cooke enlist two extremely promising young actors who have steadily been making an impression over the past decade, and are finally at the point where they can confidently lead a film based purely on their talent and charisma. Geraldine Viswanathan plays the more placid of the two, portraying the measured and rational Marian, who wants a change from the humdrum urban life she has forced herself into, and dreams of liberating herself to a more simple existence. Viswanathan is wonderful in the role – it would have been far too easy to tip the scales over and make this character into an unfunny, rigid caricature of the self-serious young woman that is often the source of a lot of the humour, but the careful curation of her character’s traits prevent her from being merely the patsy to the more eccentric of the duo. This part is occupied by Margaret Qualley, who has been circling around turning in a definitive performance that showcases her skills, and she makes the active decision to go as far as possible with the part of Jamie, managing to skirt around the edges of eccentricity without being too off-kilter or unrealistic. Qualley truly does her best to create a memorable character, and her performance is the anchor of the film – both comedically and in the quieter moments of emotional resonance, she stands out and delivers such a complex, vivid portrait of this free-spirited young woman who creates the illusion of having her life in order, but in reality is as insecure as Marian, which is why their friendship is so compelling. Supporting performances from Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo and Matt Damon adds a lot of humour to the proceedings, but in true Coen fashion, it is the more obscure character actors – Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson – that steal every scene they are in, being only second to the two leads as the most memorable aspects of this already wild and bizarre comedy.

Drive-Away Dolls has to be viewed as a two-hander, even if Coen is the one credited as the director. What is quite interesting is that we can see what both he and Cooke bring to the film, and as someone who had never directed before (even in an informal capacity, as was the case here), Cooke was the one responsible for many of the most interesting ideas, particularly in how the characters are developed, as well as some of the slightly more abstract elements that could only come from someone with a firsthand knowledge of the subject matter. As we mentioned above, the films that Coen and Cooke were inspired by are notable for how they traversed challenging subject matter and pushed boundaries, subverting expectations and battling against the concept of decency. We have mercifully mostly moved past the point where such subjects are so incredibly contentious, which allows the filmmakers to be more experimental, finding ways to still ruffle a few feathers along the way, since a film of this nature that isn’t designed to stir some kind of controversy (as minor as it may be) needs to re-order its priorities. To suggest that a film like this does have some deeper meaning is almost as absurd as the off-the-wall tone employed throughout, but we do find that Drive-Away Dolls is a rambunctious, upbeat celebration of unabashed queerness. Neither of the leads is ever shamed of her sexuality, nor do they intend to hide it, but instead the focus is on how they grow to be more confident or measured in how they express themselves. It is designed to be an eccentric crime comedy, but the film is mostly about friendship, and how these two women find themselves negotiating their identity (not questioning it, this distinction is very important to make) and realizing the value of companionship. It’s far from the definitive text on queer women and their journeys, and it does lack some seriousness that may have made it more nuanced, but a film such as this never strives to be particularly serious, and instead makes up for it in sheer audacity, of which it has an endless amount.

Queer cinema has undergone quite a substantial shift over the years, to the point now where a major, massively acclaimed filmmaker can produce an unabashedly bold and triumphant work of queer storytelling and have it be celebrated as one of the most ambitious entries into the genre. Of course, there is a lot more behind this than simply Ethan Coen’s attempts to make a film on his own – it is the fact that Drive-Away Dolls was a collaboration between himself and his wife, who brings a level of expertise and meaningful insights, that makes the film so invigorating. It is a passion project filled to the brim with the most wonderful sense of chaos and humour, which forms the foundation for a film that is driven primarily by its desire to do something different, while still paying tribute to the genres that inspired it, and helped make these stories more accessible for audiences in previous decades. We can view it as merely a wildly entertaining dark comedy that centres around a criminal conspiracy, or we can look at it as a traditional odd couple scenario in which two very different individuals are forced to find common ground, realizing that there is more that connects them than they initially thought. However, it as a poignant examination of friendship and identity that gives Drive-Away Dolls its true purpose – the humour present at the heart of the film is fresh and exciting, and while it may be suitably ribald, it never feels inappropriate to the point of being merely vulgar for the sake of stirring a reaction. Featuring a terrific cast, a strong script that has many fascinating details and a generally wonderful sense of humour, Drive-Away Dolls is a triumph, a compelling comedy with a lot of heart and soul, and the fervent desire to contribute to the ongoing story of representation, just from a distinctly different tonal perspective, proving that even the most eccentric of comedies can make an impression.