'Honey Bunch' Review
- Connor Petrey
- 34 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Release Date: 02/13/26 [Shudder]
Genre: Comedy. Fantasy. Horror. SciFi. Thriller.
MPAA: Not Rated.
Distributor: Shudder.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Admittedly Honey Bunch takes some time to get going, requiring a surplus of patience to truly appreciate the revealing second half and the incredibly odd storytelling. There’s immediately an uncanny valley effect to the style of filmmaking at hand here, with the opening shot seeming pointless until it expands upon much much later. It’s colored almost like a never ending dream sequence that is meant to be interpreted as either a dream come true or a nightmare from Hell. It’s ultimately up to the viewer to decide based on their own personal preferences and morals
Grace Glowicki plays Diana, a woman who has just arrived at a care facility that is meant to help her overcome her mysterious accident. Her husband Homer (Ben Petrie) is with her every step of the way… until he isn’t. Diana is having hallucinations throughout her treatment of nightmarish ghouls wandering the countryside manor. Is she going crazy? Is she actually seeing these people? And where is Homer when she needs him?
Diana and Homer aren't the only patients at this facility with couple Farrah (Kate Dickie) and Delwyn (Julian Richings) who seem to have the best case scenario laid out before them on their path to healing and father/daughter Josephina (India Brown) and Joseph (Jason Isaacs), who are fighting a terminal illness with little hope to be found.
The performances are grounded in this reality with a fascinating unraveling of Homer and Diana's life together. Their relationship seems always on the edge of toxicity and perfection, with the difference maybe only being perception. While Glowicki is terrific and for more reasons than you know from the start, it’s actually Jason Isaac’s relationship with his daughter that sunk its teeth into the truth of what is truly going on, with a devastating escalation of his emotions when things hit a dead end.
It’s a dysfunctional love story with a dilemma around every turn as healing is a “guarantee” at this place. There is only one way out and it’s just a matter of finding her true self amongst the wreckage. It’s a type of horror film that can be described as a lot of things and compared to just as many, but the truth of the matter is this is an experience left up to the imagination. It’s psychology but it’s also body horror through and through and if you are easily disturbed… this might be your ticket.