Ethan Coen's Drive-Away Dolls Trailer Revs Up With Thelma & Louise Style Hijinks

Ethan Coen's going on a solo journey with "Drive-Away Dolls."

The acclaimed American director, best known for working with his brother Joel Coen, is set to deliver a "Thelma & Louise"-style adventure with his upcoming comedic caper. Just because Coen's latest stint is solo doesn't mean he's lost his charm with A-list talent. Ethan Coen's flick features an all-star cast that consists of Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, Beanie Feldstein, and an array of other big-screen gems.

The film follows Jamie (Qualley) and Marian (Viswanathan), two girls who head to Tallahassee, Florida to get away from their woes. Their road trip to the Sunshine State goes awry when they end up taking a rental car that carries cargo owned by criminals. Soon, Jamie and Marian are on the run from the bad guys, meeting an unlikely cast of characters along the wau, including a cop played by Feldstein.

For Ethan Coen, "Drive-Away Dolls" is an idea years in the making — he and his wife Tricia Cooke have been cooking up the road trip movie for decades. What can fans expect from "Drive-Away Dolls"? 

"We've been telling [friends and family] it's filthy fun, and no one's contradicted us yet who's actually seen the movie," Coen told Collider, labeling it a romantic-comedy. For Cooke, the film is an entirely different beast, describing it as a "queer kind of caper that doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's very lighthearted and fun and kind of outrageous at times..."

The first trailer for "Drive-Away Dolls" looks like classic Coen fun, filled with zany characters, intriguing and curious leads, and an all-American backdrop that peels back the layers on the nation's quirky citizens. The trailer kicks off by showing Pedro Pascal's paranoid Santos, clutching a briefcase, before being pursued by a nefarious foe. Cut to: a bar, where Jamie's about to perform. She says she's "had it with love," an all too relatable feeling. Then there's Marian, who seems to be up-tight, struggling to loosen up. Fed up with their lives, the two decide to head to Tallahassee, Florida.

They go to a car rental service, grab a car, and become one with the open road. Unfortunately, the car they're using was supposed to be taken by criminals, with the boss, played by Colman Domingo, not so happy that the two ladies have his property. It turns out that a mysterious briefcase is in the car's trunk. Naturally, Marian and Jamie realize to use the briefcase as leverage, as the criminals are in hot pursuit.

It's quite interesting that Ethan Coen's "Drive-Away Dolls" is a solo offering, considering the comedic road trip flick is very much in line with "Raising Arizona," "Burn After Reading," and even "Hail, Caesar!" While it's unclear if the two brothers will ever work together again, it's fascinating to see how they've both gone down different thematic routes — Joel went minimalist and brooding with 2021's black and white "The Tragedy of Macbeth."

"Drive-Away Dolls" hits cinemas on September 22.