Blink Twice (2024)

Dir: Zoë Kravitz

Cast: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Kye MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, Alia Shawkat

Zoë Kravitz’s bold and provocative debut feature is a glossy satire that turns gender politics into a darkly comedic and seriously effective thriller

After a shaky start, 2024 is shaping up to be a great year for for the horror and thriller genres. January and February saw the releases of some of the most forgettable and lifeless genre pieces in recent years, including the horrifically misjudged “Night Swim” and the uninspired teddy bear horror “Imaginary”, which contrary to its title – lacked imagination. Thankfully however, those bleak days of poorly realised horror/thrillers have largely been forgotten thanks to a number of high profile releases within the genre in recent months, most of which have delivered the thrills and scares to be expected from the genre.

This upturn in quality has also resulted in audiences flocking back to the cinema after months of poor box office returns, which left the industry in dire straits. Highly anticipated sequels in beloved franchises such as as “Alien: Romulus”, “A Quiet Place: Day One” and “MaXXXine” have been largely responsible for drawing in audiences of late, but also original independent thrillers such as Osgood Perkins‘ “Longlegs” and M. Night Shyamalan‘s “Trap” have helped spark new life into the industry by producing fresh content. One original property that has largely gone under the radar in the lead up to its release is satirical thriller “Blink Twice”, directed by actress Zoë Kravitz. Kravitz began working on the project in 2017, and having been prevalent in both film and TV for over 15 years, the 35-year-old decided in 2021 that the project would be her directorial debut, having co-written the script with E.T. Feigenbaum.

Kravitz is no stranger to the genre having appeared in projects such as “The Batman” and “Kimi” in recent years, as well has her recurring role in HBO drama series “Big Little Lies”. After years appearing in front of the camera, the talented daughter of music icon Lenny Kravitz, has taken a logical step behind the camera with this empowering feminist thriller that satirises the ever relevant topics of gender and social politics. In recent years we have been treated to a plethora of original “eat the rich” satires, ranging from the Academy Award winning “Parasite”, to last year’s streaming sensation “Saltburn”, to name just a couple. With the rich and powerful being the butt of so many jokes in recent years, it requires something truly special to stand out amongst a crowd of highly acclaimed social thrillers, and Kravitz absolutely delivers.

Originally called “Pussy Island”, a title which Kravitz insisted upon until only a few months of theatrical release, “Blink Twice” follows part-time finger nail artist, and full time cocktail waitress Frida (Naomie Ackie), who strikes up an unlikely “romance” with billionaire tech guru Slater King (Channing Tatum), whilst working at his annual company gala. Slater’s stock has dropped significantly as of late following a recent scandal, for which he as apologised for and agreed to get professional help from his therapist Rich (Kyle MacLachlan). In order to stay out of the public eye, Slater regularly organises trips to his lavish private island and personally asks Frida and her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) to accompany him on his latest tropical getaway. Despite recent allegations against him, the girls are smitten by Slater’s natural charm, good looks and endless wealth, and agree to the impromptu vacation without a moment’s hesitation.

Once they arrive on the island, the girls reluctantly hand in their phones to Slater’s personal assistant Stacy (Geena Davis) before the luxurious festivities can begin. Also in attendance is Slater’s male entourage, consisting of: photographer Vic (Christian Slater), private chef Cody (Simon Rex), DJ Tom (Haley Joel Osment) and young graduate Lucas (Levon Hawke), as well as female guests – Heather (Trew Mullen), Camilla (Liz Caribel) and reality TV star Sarah (Adria Arjona). While the men go about their business, the women are indulged with limitless champagne , their own matching wardrobes and high end meals, enhanced by potent hallucinogenic drugs courtesy of Vic. Despite their idyllic surroundings and almost VIP status, Jess expresses her concerns to Frida that there may be trouble in paradise, and that they may have been too hasty in accepting an invite to a private island with a group of wealthy men.

Having gone into “Blink Twice” not knowing what to expect, I found myself coming out of my opening night screening have seen one of the most ambitious and well crafted movies of 2024. Cinema is well and truly back, which has been proved over the past couple months, however, where “Blink Twice” stands out from the competition is the lack of expectation I had before hand. My other favourite releases of the year such as Denis Villeneuve‘s “Dune: Part Two” and Luca Guadagnino‘s “Challengers”, benefitted from successful marketing campaigns by Warner Bros., as well as being helmed by two well established and beloved filmmakers. With their latest release on the other hand, Warner Bros. have held back on marketing, keeping their cards firmly to their chest, which has created intrigue around the moderately marketed thriller. The trailer released a couple months ago does not touch on some of the more serious, and occasionally dark, social themes within “Blink Twice”, instead it focuses more on the movie’s mystery elements. I imagine this is Warner Bros. attempt to capitalise on the recent successes of both “Glass Onion” and “The White Lotus”. While there are parallels between these projects and Kravitz’s debut, particularly in the first act, once the mysterious circumstances unravel during the most pivotal point in the narrative, “Blink Twice” goes from a fun social satire, critiquing the rich and famous, to a full fledged feminist thriller more akin to Olivia Wilde‘s “Don’t Worry Darling” – albeit structurally and narratively stronger.

One of my main reservations going into “Blink Twice” was the casting choice of Channing Tatum in a dramatic leading role. Most of Tatum’s career success has come from his comedic roles, thanks to his comedic timing and genuine likeability, so to see him don a seemingly seedy and creepy persona could have been jarring. However, the talented but often typecast actor delivers arguably the strongest dramatic performance of his career, rivalling his supporting role in Olympic wrestling biopic “Foxcatcher” (2014). Having dated Kravitz since 2021, it may seem obvious as to why the 44-year-old was cast as the male lead in his fiancé’s directorial debut, but nepotism or not, Tatum is an inspired choice as his natural charisma fully embodies the role of billionaire playboy Slater King. Tatum is still able to showcase his comedic abilities thanks to the movie’s dark satirical humour, and when needed, his physical presence allows him to intimidate and assert control over his fellow cast members.

The large ensemble is great across the board, and it is great to see A-list stars from days gone: Slater, Davis and Osment, share the screen with hot up-and-coming talents such as Ackie and Arjona. The latter two cast members manage to deliver powerhouse performances of female empowerment, who despite their differences and rivalry throughout the movie’s fast act, manage to stand side by side in their mission for gender dominance. Arjona, fresh off the back of an excellent performance in Richard Linklater‘s “Hit Man”, is given the pick of the jokes to work with and her character provides much needed levity in the tonally darker final act.

The real star of “Blink Twice” though is Kravitz, who showcases the technical craft and layered storytelling of a filmmaker way beyond her years. From the first frame to the last, “Blink Twice” is a visual delight to behold, with every inch of the screen adorned with vibrant tropical colours and meaningful imagery that build upon the deeper social themes. It is clear that Kravitz has had a clear vision for this passion project for years, as she expertly directs her technical team to help her unravel the story’s horrifying reality before your very eyes. Kathryn J. Schubert‘s snappy editing along with Adam Newport-Berra‘s cinematography and the exaggerated sound design, overwhelm the senses, forever keeping you on edge despite the tranquillity of the tropical backdrop. Kravitz’s also does not shy away from the grotesque when needed, with the final act delivering some particularly bloody confrontations, but smartly stops just short of becoming too excessive, preventing an unnecessary exploitative tonal shift.

“Blink Twice” is a virtuoso directorial debut from Zoe Kravitz, who has delivered one of the biggest cinematic surprises of the year. Her technical craft keeps the narrative inline even when the more outlandish plot devices come into play. The darkly comedic central mystery smartly unravels at its own pace which will reward audiences further with repeat viewings.

Blink Twice is now showing in UK Cinemas

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