Honey Bunch Review: Pastiche Horror Wears Its Aesthetic Influence On Its Padded 1970s Shoulders To Both Juicy and Exhausting Effect

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People often say that marriage means constantly getting to know your partner anew, because people change over time. Your spouse isn’t the same person they were when you first married, or even yesterday. This is especially true for Diana and Homer (Grace Glowicki and Ben Petrie), as Diana is struggling with memory loss after a serious car accident, and Homer is becoming increasingly secretive and unsettling.

Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer’s film is a throwback to 1970s horror, and it’s clear what inspired them. At times, the movie seems more focused on showing off those influences than on truly exploring them, and this dedication to a retro horror style holds it back somewhat. However, the film creates a uniquely unsettling atmosphere. The cinematography beautifully captures a peaceful, rural setting that hides a disturbing undercurrent.

Without Glowicki’s strong performance, Honey Bunch would feel overly familiar. The film initially resembles movies like A Cure for Wellness, Unsane, and Shutter Island – all of which build suspense by making you question a character’s mental state. However, around the midpoint, the film takes a surprising turn, shifting from a quirky medical setting to a more complex and unsettling exploration of the changing dynamics within a marriage.

I recently watched a film where a woman named Diana is taken to this incredibly isolated, gorgeous Victorian mansion way up in the Canadian wilderness. It’s clear her husband is hoping this trip will help, because she’s been struggling a lot. She woke up from a coma, but her memory is really fragmented, and she needs a cane because of an old hip injury. They try to act all cheerful and playful, even having little arguments, but you can tell something’s seriously wrong beneath the surface. It feels like their relationship is crumbling, and they’re just trying to pretend everything’s okay.

The couple is welcomed by Farah (Kate Dickie), a caregiver with a strong Scottish accent and an overly friendly demeanor that feels unsettling – they even compare her to the character Mrs. Danvers. Initially, the facility doesn’t seem overtly concerning, but the doctor known for performing miracles is absent, and much of the treatment is unclear. One strange procedure involves Diana being restrained in a chair while exposed to flashing lights designed to trigger seizures. Her medication requires quickly adjusting dosages of a drug intended to improve both her memory and sleep.

Things quickly become strange and unsettling. Diana repeatedly encounters disturbing scenes of injured women who bear a striking resemblance to her, all in visible pain. Even more oddly, these visions seem to vanish as quickly as they appear. And then, Diana sees a woman fleeing through the nearby woods, but no one else seems to notice her at all.

As the movie unfolds and Diana becomes increasingly wary of Homer, the story starts to feel repetitive and relies too heavily on unanswered questions. After a promising beginning, the film struggles to find a clear path until a thrilling final act that truly sets it apart. With its vintage look and unsettling music, Honey Bunch sometimes feels like an imitation rather than an original work. Fortunately, the strong performances save it, and the film’s ultimately disturbing yet beautiful message about marriage lingers long after the credits roll.

Honey Bunch premieres on Shudder on February 13th, 2026.

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2026-02-12 16:58