Drive-Away Dolls (2024) - Quirky Rollercoaster Ride That Values Entertainment over Substance - 7/10 (12/03/24)

Drive-Away Dolls is a quirky crime comedy movie with psychedelic elements directed by renowned filmmaker Ethan Coen. The film revolves around two lesbian friends who organize changes in their lives as they drive from Pennsylvania to Florida. They get caught up in a criminal scheme involving a confused rental car shop owner, two inept criminals and their bipolar boss as well as a conservative politician with a wild past. While dealing with all those unexpected obstacles, the two ladies also start transitioning from friends over sexual partners to genuine lovers.

This movie convinces on several levels. First of all, the filmmaking is entertaining with creative camera angles, efficient lighting techniques and wonderful psychedelic passages used as smooth transitions between scenes. Up next, the plot is filled with numerous quirky characters and creative ideas that make this wild ride diverting throughout. The acting performances are certainly unique, memorable and diversified with an outgoing Margaret Qualley and a much more serious Geraldine Viswanathan. The film's quirky soundtrack blends in wonderfully with the movie's overall tone.

On the negative side, the film's story might be eclectic but remains paper-thin at its essence. The movie is at times overloaded with quirky side stories that add entertainment but no substance whatsoever. The film also desperately tries to include as many ethnical, sexual and visible minorities among its characters which makes a well-intentioned approach feel pretentiously exaggerated.

At the end of the day, Drive-Away Dolls is a quirky comedy film on the pulse of time that offers entertainment over substance. It's a great popcorn cinema flick that invites to switch your brain off for eighty-four minutes, take a break from your everyday life and enjoy the wild ride while it lasts. While this rollercoaster ride is diverting throughout, the film certainly doesn't have any deeper meaning and doesn't offer much, if any replay value. Enjoy this flick at your local cinema or in the comfort of your living-room with a few drinks and some friends but don't purchase this feature film while expecting to revisit it time and again.