Matt Damon cameos in ‘misunderstood masterpiece’ coming to Netflix | Films | Entertainment
Matt Damon cameos in ‘misunderstood masterpiece’ coming to Netflix (Image: FOCUS FEATURES)
A quirky romantic crime caper is arriving on Netflix, with devoted fans convinced it has all the hallmarks of a future cult favourite.
The 2024 release divided opinion, scoring 37 percent with Rotten Tomatoes audiences whilst earning 64 percent from critics, yet it has cultivated a dedicated fanbase over the past two years.
Helmed by Ethan Coen, one half of cinema’s most celebrated directing duos alongside brother Joel, and co-penned with Tricia Cooke, Drive-Away Dolls features a stellar ensemble cast.
Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan lead as lesbian best friends—free-spirited Jamie and strait-laced Marian—whose impromptu road trip to Tallahassee spirals into mayhem after they encounter a gang of criminals on a decidedly risqué assignment.
Two gay best friends embark on a quirky road trip (Image: FOCUS FEATURES)
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Despite modest box office returns and mixed audience reactions, a loyal group of supporters remain adamant it warrants greater recognition.
Screen Rant dubbed it “underrated” and hailed it as “one of the funniest comedies of 2024”.
“It could be just a matter of time before it finds its audience and becomes a cult classic,” they noted. A glowing 10/10 IMDb review echoed this sentiment, declaring: “This film has the making of a cult movie like Pulp Fiction.
The film is stacked with A-list cameos (Image: FOCUS FEATURES)
“An edgy action/suspense/satire movie with great humorous moments and engaging dialogue. Go see it, you won’t regret you did!”
The reviewer drew parallels between Drive-Away Dolls and Coen Brothers classics such as The Big Lebowski and Fargo, alongside Thelma and Louise and Everything Everywhere All At Once, suggesting fans of those films should absolutely give it a watch.
Another devotee took things further, hailing it the “Best Comedy of the At Least Last 10 Years” in their perfect 10/10 rating.
“Given the preview made this movie look like utter garbage, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was,” they added.
It already has a cult following who claim the film is severely ‘underrated’ (Image: FOCUS FEATURES)
“This was not what I expected at all, and this is the first movie that had me laughing beginning to end since 2014. I’ve literally been making all my friends go watch this movie, because it is that good. I don’t understand why ratings are so low.”
The praise didn’t stop there, with Letterboxd users joining the chorus. One declared: “Drive-Away Dolls is a misunderstood masterpiece that uses elements of the noir genre, mixes them with social satire, and sets it in 1999 to paint the most ridiculous portrait possible of lesbian culture from that era (not complaining, it’s amazing), and which, for some reason, still seems vaguely relevant today.”
Meanwhile, a glowing five-star review declared: “Can’t lie, this is an instant favourite and immediately a top 3 Coen Brother(s) movie for me. Had me cheesing and laughing and even crying at all moments.”
Drive-Away Dolls is available to stream on Netflix from Saturday, 17th January.
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