Blink Twice Movie Review – A Thrilling Directorial Debut For Zoë Kravitz

There is an added sense of suspense and tension whenever you’re watching a movie that is highly plausible in its setting. For many thrillers and horrors, writers and directors can often forego such simplicity, hoping to create some faux anxiety in a scene. It may be her first credit as a movie director, but Zoë Kravitz’s understanding of less is more with her debut film, Blink Twice, makes it all the more appealing and intriguing. It will leave you in a tense sweat on the edge of your seat for quite a large portion of the film. 

Blink Twice Movie Synopsis And Setup

“When tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) at his fundraising gala, sparks fly. He invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. It’s paradise. Wild nights blend into sun-soaked days and everyone’s having a great time. Nobody wants this trip to end, but as strange things start to happen, Frida begins to question her reality. Something is wrong with this place. She’ll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out of this party alive.” 

The official movie synopsis summarises Blink Twice quite well. It’s not a complicated plot and doesn’t need much explaining if you had to retell it. Instead, the movie is built on the premise of not knowing much while not giving anything away. 

After being caught up in some controversy, billionaire mogul Slater King steps back from his lead role in his tech company. He buys a private island for reflection and disconnects from social media and the world as part of his “apology” tour.

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Banking On Your Emotions

What stands out from the film is how the story is told, with us, as the viewers, unravelling the details of the truth at the same time as those living through it. Not only does this create all the tension you’d expect when not knowing what will happen next. 

Unlike many recent movies that spoon-feed the plot and backstory, treating viewers as if they’re uninformed, it’s refreshing that this film offers plenty of Easter eggs and breadcrumbs, allowing you to piece things together alongside the characters. The title Blink Twice is befitting of the movie, especially once you step away and realise all the details in hindsight. 

With the recent #MeToo movement, Epstein Island and everything since, there’s been a lot of focus on specific behaviours, especially among the wealthy elites who often think of themselves as above the law in some respect. The premise of the film is heavily based on this fallout and how we as a society, especially women, have had more courage to open up about abuse and trauma when they’ve been placed in vulnerable positions. 

We already know that Slater King has been the subject of some controversy, leaving him in an awkward position to take some time off away from everything. However, it seems almost staged as we learn more about him and his friends with every passing scene. While we never know all the background details, our imaginations can fill in the gaps, as we’ve witnessed many such stories on social media over the past decade or so. 

At some point during the film, Frida and Jess (Alia Shawkat) ask themselves a very pertinent question: “What are we doing here?” reconciling with the crazy idea of them having left everything behind to fly away with a billionaire to a remote island with no form of outside contact. Mind you, things were still going great, with the duo having a great time partying on the island, treated to endless glasses of champagne and drugs. 

The Takeaway

There is plenty of build-up throughout the movie, setting tense exchanges between the characters in Blink Twice, while even the otherwise relaxing scenes feel eerily calm. Too calm. Each scene builds upon one another, painting a picture of what might be happening behind the scenes. However, when all is revealed, we’re not surprised. Instead, we’re still left shocked by it all. 

Kravitz doesn’t shy away from dealing with specific topics in Blink Twice. And, despite those topics being honest and having profound implications, there are still a few laughs to be had along the way. Nothing sums up many underlying feelings other than Slater and his crew continuously asking, “Are you having a good time?” While things may start great, having to smile through it all when the question keeps popping up paints a picture of what survivors often must deal with when suppressing their trauma.

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