‘Drive-Away Dolls’ Review: Wild and Raunchy but an Inch Too Short

The Coen brothers are known for their distinct style and quality of films. From The Big Lebowski to O Brother, Where Art Thou? to No Country for Old Men, the directing duo has a long outstanding filmography that’s difficult to match. Following The Ballad of Buster Scruggs in 2018, the brothers have gone on to do their own solo films. Drive-Away Dolls is from Ethan Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke, and it’s an outrageously wild and raunchy comedy that takes some big liberties with its style and story. The film embraces its sexual freedom, oftentimes feeling like a parody of the sexploitation films of the 70s. There is some fun and enjoyment to be had, but it comes up a few inches too short of the quality the Coen name has become synonymous with.

Friends Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) take a trip across the country to Tallahassee together and use a driveaway car service where they are given the keys to a stranger’s car on the agreement that they will drive it to its destination. In this case, Tallahassee. What they don’t realize is that the car they’re driving holds an extremely valuable package that was meant to be driven by two other individuals. Now, the owners of said package are on their tale in order to get their goods back, unbeknown to Jamie and Marian. What was supposed to be a fun cross-country road trip between friends soon turns into a fight for their lives over one mysteriously large package.

The less you know about Drive-Away Dolls, the better you’re off. Half the fun of the film is all the outrageous and shocking twists and turns of its story. And I say shocking in terms of literal shock value and not in how smart the film is. The film is raunchy and doesn’t shy away from its sexual themes so you can get a general idea of what it’s about. Even still, there are plenty of moments that will leave you with your mouth agape.

Drive-Away Dolls has a handful of fun moments, but the overall story and presentation isn’t anything worthwhile. The editing can be sloppy and as shocking as it may be, it’s still a rather forgettable experience once the credits are done rolling. I had some laughs, and it was a lot of fun to see Pedro Pascal ham it up for the camera, but in parodying films from the 70s it very much feels ripped straight from that era. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan deliver solid performances as two lesbian best friends, with Qualley being the brash and outspoken type who attempts to get the shy and reserved Viswanathan to relax and live a little. They don’t break free from the majority of stereotypes, however. Everything about the film feels very surface level and doesn’t really develop anything meaningful beyond immature sex jokes. They’re good for a quick laugh but little else.

And make no mistake, Drive-Away Dolls is good for a few laughs. I had fun watching the film, and at a brisk 84 minutes it’s not like it’s going to feel like a waste. It does come up short when compared to the past efforts of the Coen brothers, so if you’re expecting a masterpiece then prepare to be letdown. Keep an open mind, and it will put a smile on your face.