Writer/Director duo Madeleine Sims-Fewer & Dusty Mancinelli (Violation) evoke the psychological unravelings of ’70s films like Robert Altman’s Images and Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now in retro-styled sophomore feature Honey Bunch. Or rather, the filmmakers use it as an entry point to subvert the unreliable, paranoid narrator for their unique genre-bender that’s unafraid to march to the beat of its own idiosyncratic drum. It’s as ambitious as it is weird, making for one unpredictable foray into sci-fi horror weirdness with a sticky-sweet center.
The sepia-tinged feature introduces Diana (Grace Glowicki) and her husband Homer (Glowicki’s real-life spouse Ben Petrie) as they arrive at an imposing gothic estate, home to an experimental medical facility, nestled in the scenic countryside. They’re greeted by Farah (The Witch‘s Kate Dickie), the assistant to the enigmatic Dr Tréphine (Patricia Tulasne), and guided through their new routine meant to aid Diana’s recovery from a recent car accident. It doesn’t take long for the strange setting to trigger eerie visions for Diana, exacerbated by her husband’s secretive behavior. The arrival of young patient Josephina (India Brown), accompanied by doting dad Joseph (Jason Isaacs), uncovers even more startling revelations about the place and Diana’s role in it.
Sims-Frewer & Mancinelli are counting on audience familiarity with its cinematic influences, even directly naming them in dialogue, to build suspense and keep audiences on guard. That’s at its most effective in the first half, as a disoriented Diana finds ghastly sights lurking in shadowed corners to play tricks on her amnesiac mind, and dismissive reassurances lead to paranoia. Despite the haunting visions and suitably creaky manor, though, the filmmaker’s plunge Diana into a far weirder horror scenario than ghosts. As the truth behind the facility begins to emerge, the clearer Sims-Frewer & Mancinelli subversion of the gaslit and paranoid ’70s female horror protagonist crystallizes along with mind-twisting doppelgängers and themes of bodily autonomy.
It’s also the turning point where the filmmakers unshackle themselves, though not fully, from the serious pastiche and get playful through its two leads. Diana and Homer’s relationship anchors this genre experiment, one that’s as thorny as it is loving. The seriousness of Diana’s health instills a sense of urgency, but the honest yet silly banter between the spouses sets the stage for the film’s ultra-sweet denouement, in a darkly twisted sort of way. As such, Glowicki and Petrie’s natural chemistry and relaxed rapport make short work of endearing their characters to audiences. It also allows them the room to explore when Honey Bunch takes its biggest narrative swing.
There’s no shortage of ambition on display, stylistically and narratively, as Sims-Frewer & Mancinelli corral multiple subgenres and tones together in one trippy but ultimately charming genre-bender. That ambition carries Honey Bunch through its rougher tonal transitions and pacing struggles as a byproduct, though those drawn in by the initial horror freakouts may find themselves disappointed by the riskier second half. Not all details or plot threads tidily fit, either. Still, as uneven as Honey Bunch can be, its lush cinematography and its nuanced exploration of bodily autonomy by way of ’70s horror subversion make for such a drastic departure from Violation that we’ve only yet begun to see what Sims-Frewer & Mancinelli are capable of as filmmakers.
Honey Bunch made its North American premiere at TIFF and heads to Shudder in 2026.
