Drive-Away Dolls Review: Comedies Will Never Die

Hilarity, raunch, and simplicity are what you’ll find in Ethan Coen’s new comedy road trip film, Drive-Away Dolls. Written by Coen (No Country For Old Men) and Tricia Cooke, it follows two down-on-their-luck women who unknowingly steal from some very important people. Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) stars as Jamie, a Texan free spirit whose girlfriend recently broke up with her, while Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers) stars as Marian, her buttoned-up politically minded friend. After realizing they need a change in their lives, Jamie and Marian take a gig that requires them to take a car to Tallahassee. 

Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) plays Jamie’s ex-girlfriend Sukie, and Academy Award-nominated Colman Domingo (The Color Purple) plays Chief, the enigmatic man chasing after the pair. Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) and Matt Damon (The Martian) also have smaller roles in the film. Drive-Away Dolls is fairly straightforward. It’s a buddy comedy that turns into a romantic comedy as the pair find themselves in a steep decline of trouble while on their road trip. It’s not violent apart from a few scenes, but it does contain some nudity and is on the raunchier side. 

The Comedic Plot

You’re in the wrong place if you’re expecting a serious thriller. Aside from those few violent scenes, nobody takes anything seriously. The main plot point is that Marian and Jamie have accidentally taken a car that was supposed to go to some criminals who would take it to Tallahassee the next day. But, they take a few detours, and the men go after them when they realize someone else has the car. Why? Because they’ve placed two cases in the trunk – ones that they need to get to Tallahassee. 

Wisely, the contents of the briefcase are hidden until roughly halfway into the film. So, intrigue builds up, letting the audience engage with the plot, even though not much is happening. The payoff comes in what might be the best scene, and all the build-up makes for one cathartic laugh when you realize what the plot of the movie is. This is not to say that it is the only source of laughter, as I found myself laughing all throughout the movie, which is usually a good sign for a comedy. 

The dialogue is sharp and quick, with Qualley’s accent enhancing every line. Not everything is necessarily witty, but it just feels nice to listen to the actors talking to each other. Coen brothers’ films often have characters that have a quite pointed way of talking, an almost mechanical way of throwing lines at one another, and in Ethan Coen’s solo feature debut, it’s no different. So, occasionally, it feels like the characters in a scene are a little exaggerated, making the comedic moments come off a little forced. But, the performances aren’t bad. Nobody in Drive-Away Dolls drops the ball at any moment. 

Drive-Away Dolls Nails Character

When you watch Qualley and Viswanathan act against each other, the pair feel like real characters. Both have their versions of a backstory. We see a glimpse of Marian’s childhood, and presumably, her discovering her sexuality through flashbacks. In comparison, all of Jamie’s character is thrown at you in the first 10 minutes, but she does reveal a bit more through dialogue later on. Similarly, Joey Slotnick (Twister) and C. J. Wilson (Manchester by the Sea) play Arliss and Flint, Chief’s two incompetent goons. Their buddy anti-cop routine mirrored the young women, and they were just as funny. 

Other than Feldstein – who is fairly one-note as the scorned lover, but still great – everybody else is relegated to smaller roles. Keeping the main cast to four or five people is an excellent choice, as it allows the audience to live with those characters for the entirety of their screen time, keeping us invested when the plot feels stagnant. While the characters and dialogue shine throughout, the film isn’t perfect. There are some bonkers editing choices – mostly contained in scene transitions – that feel out of place with the plot, especially in the first half. 

The plot also feels too simple, a symptom of the 87-minute runtime and it being a road trip movie. Too much of Drive-Away Dolls feels like the characters are just going from location to location, and this feels a little grating especially when compared to the scenes where events occur more spontaneously. But, it feels contradictory to celebrate the short length and complain about how not much happens in terms of plot. Still, the first half isn’t as strong as the back half. 

That Beautiful Sunset

Some of the jokes didn’t land with me, mostly some of the more political ones, of which there are only a few. But, comedy is subjective so you might find yourself not laughing at something I laughed at or vice-versa. It’s also worth noting that the leads nail the physical comedy, with those scenes sticking out as my favorites. Drive-Away Dolls is fun from beginning to end. Even in those duller moments, it doesn’t lose its edge, and it never lost my interest. The nudity and violence either serve the characters or the comedy, and you rarely feel like anything’s out of place. 

Even though it has some issues, Drive-Away Dolls is yet another sign that comedies aren’t going anywhere soon. If you want a nice date movie or to have a good belly laugh, go to the theaters for this one. If not, definitely catch it when it comes to your digital platform of choice or pick it up physically. Drive-Away Dolls is in theaters from February 22, 2024.