'Blink Twice' takes some truly unexpected twists in Zo? Kravitz's bold directorial debut
Zo? Kravitz does not hold back in “Blink Twice,” the actor’s directorial debut.
Starring her fiancé Channing Tatum as a once-and-future toxic tech bro, the film leans heavily into elitism, power imbalance, women’s agency and sexual violence. All of this is bottled up inside a horror mystery that is, from time to time, pretty funny.
It’s a movie that’s trying really hard to do a lot of things in a big way. It does not succeed at all of them, though it does succeed at some of them. And wouldn’t you rather take a chance on a filmmaker who takes big swings and misses occasionally, if only for the satisfaction when they finally connect?
What is 'Blink Twice' about?
The film stars Naomi Ackie (Frida), who is scrolling Instagram when she comes upon Slater King (Tatum), who is apologizing for unspecified actions, saying he has retreated to his private island to work on himself and, through extensive therapy, is a changed man — the kind of smarmy apology only the super-rich can afford. (We never learn exactly what he did.)
The next night, Frida is working with her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) at a black-tie fundraiser, serving food. Frida has a surprise, though; she dons a fancy dress and decides to mingle. This backfires when she trips while among the moneyed set, but she’s helped up by none other than Slater. By the time the night is over, Frida and Jess are on Slater’s private jet, headed for his island.
It’s a paradise, albeit one with hangers-on played by Christian Slater, Simon Rex and Haley Joel Osment roaming around. There are other women guests, as well, including Sarah (Adria Arjona, superb), a TikTok famous reality show contestant. Slater and the staff provide clothes, swimsuits, gourmet food and plentiful drugs (done with intention, Slater assures) in as gorgeous a tropical setting as you can imagine. This means the occasional snake, but Slater is doing what he can to rid the island of those.
Slater has the time and money to obsess over things like where the red chair in one of his rooms should go, a problem his assistant (Geena Davis, addled and entertaining) endlessly tries to solve.
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It all seems perfect, but when is the last time anything that seemed perfect actually turned out to be? That’s not a spoiler. It’s a feeling that permeates the film as soon as Slater’s jet touches down on the island.
Cracks begin to appear in the seamless non-stop hedonism. What is the maid saying? Where is Jess? In a classic horror film trope, Frida can’t remember where the dirt underneath her fingernails came from. On the other hand, Slater spends a lot of time with her; she seems to be his favorite.
Zo? Kravitz makes an assured debut as director
How it all shakes out is genuinely disturbing, but that’s as far as we need to travel in that direction. Kravitz chips away at the facade slowly and carefully; she is an assured director (she also co-wrote the screenplay). Without her confidence in telling the story it wouldn’t work — that and the performances, particularly from Ackie, Tatum and Arjona, though Christian Slater’s ability to make a smile look sleazy has always impressed.
The humor, for instance, doesn’t seem out of place. And working with recovered memories can also be tricky, or a cheap storytelling tool. Here it builds tension without feeling like a stunt.
Only when it’s over will you think, wait, could this have really played out this way? Do all of the aspects of the story hold up? It’s to the credit of the film and Kravitz that those questions never occur to you while you’re watching “Blink Twice.” You’re too engaged to notice.
'Blink Twice' 4 stars
Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★
Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★
Director: Zo? Kravitz.
Cast: Naomi Ackle, Channing Tatum, Adria Arjona.
Rating: R for strong violent content, sexual assault, drug use and language throughout, and some sexual references.
How to watch: In theaters Friday, Aug. 23.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Blink Twice' review: Trippy, terrifying and somehow funny, too