Be careful out there, even if you think you’re “having a good time.” If a tech billionaire swoops in and wants to whisk you away to his private island on a whim, maybe think twice —Blink Twice? — even if your pal is along for the ride for moral support. Ifthis concept sounds familiarin terms of narrative cinema, then so be it. But in her first feature film as a director and writer (with E.T. Feigenbaumfrom her series,High Fidelity),acclaimed actress Zoë Kravitz takes these familiar tropes and makes something flashy and trippy.
It helps that Kravitz has gota wildly talented castat her disposal to flesh outBlink Twice, even if said cast doesn’t include herself. Yes, she’s solely behind the camera for this one, and shows clear promise in the position.Blink Twicedoes, however, includeher real-life fiancé Channing Tatum, who’s been busy on the big screen of late and is simply soaking up this juicy new character named Slater. And a real-life Slater — Christian Slater, that is — is also along for the ride, playing his wealthy pal in a story that takes us to an outrageously luxurious getaway and has a certain number of eerie tricks up its sleeve.
SeeingTatum go to very dark placesis perhaps engrossing enough to fill the respective seats this weekend, even whenBlink Twice’s twists go a bit off the rails in the outrageous second and third acts. If nothing else, Kravitz’s directorial effort will certainly provoke some conversations, and reveals her stylish eye.
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Blink Twice
Directed by Zoë Kravitz, Blink Twice is a drama thriller film, marking her first foray into the world of directing. The film follows a cocktail waitress invited to a tech billionaire’s private resort home to party with them - but after arriving, she begins to discover the dark truth behind the island.
Naomi Ackieplays Frida, the film’s damsel in distress who indeed needs to “blink twice” if she’s in danger. Or at least, that’s the joke Slater’s therapist, Rich (FalloutstarKyle MacLachlan), makes to her after they all meet at Slater’s latest gala, where Frida happens to be working as a caterer in the film’s first act. Ackie once evoked a similar, bright-eyed charm as the one and only Whitney Houston in the underwhelming filmI Wanna Dance With Somebody,but strikes more of a nerve here thanks to Kravitz’s confident, skilled direction and her script with co-writer E.T. Feigenbaum.
Thanks to the urging of roommate and fellow caterer pal Jess (Search PartyandArrested DevelopmentstandoutAlia Shawkat), the two of them are soon off jet-setting to a private island after Frida rubs Slater the right way during the gala. Wait, isn’t she merely a server among Slater and his fellow billionaires? No matter. Slater’s arresting eyes can’t seem to look away from her, and now he insists she join him for a vacay alongside his colorful entourage.
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In addition to MacLachlan’s Rich and pal Vic (Christian Slater), there’s Slater’s snobby chef buddy Cody (Red RocketstarSimon Rex), party animal Tom (Haley Joel Osment, having a grand ol' time), anxiety-stricken publicist Stacy (Geena Davis, hell yeah!) and others. Plus, there are women besides Frida and Jess aboard the private jet, including the seemingly stuck-up Sarah (Hit ManstunnerAdria Arjona), who sees the pack of fresh faces as a sort of competition as to who can best win over the billionaire Slater.
In fact,sexual tension and the inherent power struggle thereinbecomes a prominent aspect of the film’s narrative and themes. (Is the title a playful critique of the sexism in Bob Dylan’s brilliant song, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right?") It’s not long before Frida is watching — with wanting eyes — YouTube videos of Slater on some sort of apology tour for his past missteps, but that doesn’t stop the single ladies from shying away from all that he and his absurdly lavish and remote digs have to offer.
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Forgive but Don’t Forget This Bleak and Topical Satire
But as theBlink Twicepromotional campaign suggests, things start tofeel like Ari Aster’sMidsommaronce Frida and Jess' trip goes on with seemingly no expiration date. As the days pass, the creepy on-site staff start to act stranger and stranger. The film benefits from satirical and bleak humor surrounding the offensively rich guests on their island and how stuck-up & party-hard they all seem, particularly heart-shaped sunglasses-wearing bros like Tom and his infinite playlist of party jams.
Love those shades. There are other fun props and symbols throughout the story that will ultimately carry significant thematic weight, such as Jess' cigarette lighter that everyone passes around that cleverly, indirectly, brings about some jaw-dropping truths as the second and third acts come about.Things get uncomfortableas the vacation begins to revolve around the notion of “forgive and forget,” and if Slater can’t get you to forgive, maybe he has billion-dollar ideas to help pull off the latter…
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Blink Twice & Stop Making Sense
Unfortunately, that latter half of the story falters a bit, as this strangely sadistic arrangement establishes a set of rules that seems to fluctuate unevenly to conveniently mold the story. It’s a similar effect to the hit filmA Quiet Place, for anyone who had complaints about certain inconsistencies in the logic and ‘ground rules’ of that film’s world. Similarly, you may be left scratching your head as to how the antagonist(s) pulled off certain tricks but was completely unable to finagle others.
One could argue these minute details are small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. It’s mostly a wild ride that showcases the performance ranges of Tatum, Ackie, Shawkat, and Arjona foremost.The supporting players, particularly the reliably hysterical Rex, also help fuel the darkly comedic fireof rich grownup kids perpetually complaining about their perfect lives. And when the ladies catch on to a number of misdeeds by the end, you may find yourself jumping for joy at a certain revenge saga.It’s mostly pretty entertaining, visually lush, and with high-concept editing to match— so hats off to you, Ms. Kravitz.
From Amazon MGM Studios,Blink Twicewill be released on Aug. 23 only in theaters.
