As an avid fan of the horror genre, I always look forward to the horror slate annually at the Tribeca Film Festival. It’s usually filled with indy horror films that turn out to be some of the brightest spots of the festival.
First up is Devereux Milburn’s Honeydew. Consider this one a misfire. Though the film offers intriguing questions and a plot setup, it fails in its execution with a bloated runtime and disappointed vagueness that makes the film a mess. You can skip this one.
Honeydew follows Sam (Sawyer Spielberg) and Rylie (Malin Barr), a couple traveling through a rural part of the U.S. It’s clear from the films opening that this couple doesn’t have the best relationship, and getting stranded was certainly not on their agenda. Eventually, the couple ends up at the front door of an older woman, Karen, who seems willing enough to help the couple.
In Milburn’s debut, he gradually creates tension throughout the film’s first half, thanks to the awkward and uncomfortable interactions with the older woman and son. Despite the levels of tension created, he plants countless red flags that Sam and Rylie miss that will frustrate even the most casual horror film viewer that has seen every horror trope featured here done before.
Over the past few years, we’ve had films like Hereditary, Midsommar, The Lighthouse, and The Witch, all with deliberately slow pacing that ultimately adds to the film’s effectiveness. With Honeydew, there is an 80-85 minutes of great horror film masquerading inside an almost 2 hour run time that doesn’t work. There are too many moments within the film that feel unhurried and hang around for entirely too long. While the film’s final moments are sure to disturb audiences, it will leave cinephiles longing for a better conclusion.
The performances in Honeydew are some of the highlights of the film. Malin Barr’s Rylie brings a domineering presence to the screen and balances the overbearing, demanding, and loving girlfriend exceptionally well. On the other side, we have Sawyer Spielberg, yes, THAT SPIELBERG. Spielberg is on point throughout as he exudes levels of resentment his character feels while expressing sheer terror during moments of the film. While the two offer up great chemistry, it’s Barbara Kingsley who steals the show as the elderly homeowner, Karen. Her performance is unnerving and strengthens the uncomfortable tone Milburn wants to impose on the audience.
While Honeydew is disturbing, it never reaches its full potential. There’s no balance between tension building and practical payoff that will leave cinephiles talking about the film past its conclusion.
