Honey

A failing relationship takes a turn when a couple discovers a drunk girl on their doorstep

Mar 27, 2025 - 16:09

When it comes to reviving a stale relationship, couples typically turn to date nights, therapy, or heartfelt conversations. Adopting a drunk woman? Not exactly a recommended approach. Yet in Doron Max Hagay’s unexpected short Honey, that’s precisely what sparks a reconnection. As the couple takes on the shared responsibility of caring for this perpetually inebriated stranger (like the proud parents of a toddler), they find themselves drawn back together in the most unconventional way.

As Honey introduces us to its central couple, their struggling relationship is never explicitly discussed. Instead, Hagay reveals their disconnect through quiet, telling moments. The first hint that something is amiss comes within the opening 30 seconds, as we see them sharing the same space yet existing in separate worlds – one absorbed in a video game, the other messaging someone called “sexual man” on his phone.

Joe Castle Baker and Max Wittert as the couple with the failing relationship in Honey

However, before we get to spend too much time in their world, their peace is interrupted by the sounds of that aforementioned drunk woman outside of their apartment. As they go out to offer help, announcing themselves as “harmless gay guys”, they soon find this woman in their apartment and part of their lives. Unable to find any personal details about this stranger, she appears to be staying with them indefinitely, as they convince each other that she “just needs more time to sober up”.

Her impact on their relationship is almost immediate. On her first morning with them, as she sits fully clothed in the steaming bathroom, a simple “I love you” exchanged between the couple catches one of them off guard. Later, as they discuss her situation with friends, the emotional distance that initially defined their interactions has vanished – replaced by intimacy as they snuggle together on the sofa, drawn closer by their unexpected new dynamic.

With so many films centred on breakups and heartache, Honey feels like a breath of fresh air – offering a story of a relationship rekindling, and from such an unexpected source. While its clever premise is key to that immersion, the performances of the central trio also play a vital role. As the couple, Joe Castle Baker and Max Wittert (who also co-wrote Honey with Hagay) are instantly believable and endearing, making it easy for the audience to root for them. But it’s Emily Allan as the drunk woman who truly steals the show, perfectly embodying the exaggerated confidence of inebriation. Though her dialogue is mostly indecipherable, she still delivers the film’s most touching moment – stumbling through a few barely coherent sentences to leave the couple with a simple yet profound instruction: “Take care of each other.”

Emily Allan playing a perpetually inebriated woman in Honey.

And so, this strange trio parts ways. As the drunk woman is reunited with friends, the couple is left alone once more. It was fun spending time with them, but as Hagay’s short comes to a close, we can’t help but wonder – what happens next? Will she ever sober up? Is the couple’s renewed bond strong enough to last now that they’re back to just the two of them?

We may never get those answers, but that’s part of the film’s charm. Instead of feeling frustrated by the unknown, there’s something comforting in imagining them carrying on in our minds – like old friends that never really existed.