HoneyJoon Is the Vacation That Will Break Your Heart—Then Put It Back Together

Photo Credit Tribeca Film Fest 2025

There are vacation movies where everyone falls in love, drinks too much wine, and discovers the meaning of life while staring at a sunset. HoneyJoon says, "Hold my passport."

Written and directed by Lilian Mehrel, HoneyJoon follows a mother and daughter who travel to the breathtaking Azores on the one-year anniversary of the husband and father's death. Instead of a healing getaway, they accidentally book a honeymoon package for two.

Awkward? Absolutely. Hilarious? Surprisingly, yes.

One of the film's funniest moments happens almost immediately when the pair is asked to take a honeymoon photo for another couple. The mother's matter-of-fact response: "My husband is now dead" is so unexpected you laugh before realizing grief has a wicked sense of humor. That's exactly what HoneyJoon understands so well: sorrow and comedy are often traveling companions.

As the women wander through the lush volcanic islands, booking awkward couples massages, private tours, religious processions, and heartfelt encounters become more than sightseeing, they become stepping stones toward healing. The Azores isn't just the backdrop; it's another character, quietly reminding us that life keeps blooming, even after heartbreak.

But beneath the laughs lies something much deeper. As a Kurdish Persian woman, the mother carries not only the grief of losing her husband but also the emotional weight of watching the ongoing oppression of women in Iran. Meanwhile, her daughter mourns the life she imagined after leaving medical school. They're grieving people, dreams, identities, and versions of themselves they may never get back.

HoneyJoon reminds us that grief isn't something you "get over." It's something you learn to carry sometimes while accidentally booking a honeymoon suite, sometimes while laughing so hard you forget you're crying.

SQUAD Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ out of 5 poolside cocktails. Pack tissues... and maybe book the right vacation package.

HoneyJoon premiered in Palm Springs with a Q&A at the Festival Theaters on July 13, 2026 and is now playing at the Lumiere theater in Beverly Hills, California through July 22, 2026.

About the Author

Ersilia Pompilio is the Editor in Chief of SQUAD Magazine, a Palm Springs guide for bachelorettes and ladies who love to leisure. Ersilia has over two decades of experience in performing, producing live storytelling shows, and hosting a podcast, she has also taught storytelling classes and written professionally for several media outlets. Originally from Los Angeles, Ersilia is also a twenty-year resident of Palm Springs, California.