Blink Twice

Rating 5/10

Blink Twice begins with Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) working as servers at a party hosted by billionaire tech CEO Slater King (Channing Tatum). He is handsome and powerful, and she is attracted to him. During the event, she embarrassingly trips and falls thanks to a broken heel. The commotion catches Slater King’s attention. He unexpectedly extends an invitation to his exclusive private island, and she can bring Jess along.

Anyone familiar with the news and Jeffrey Epstein will already have negative associations with this idea, but Frida couldn’t be more excited. For her, this is the chance of a lifetime—mingling with the elite in a tropical paradise. The offer is too good to turn down.

Also on the island are King’s right-hand man Vic (Christian Slater), a professional chef (Simon Rex), an actor acquaintance (Haley Joel Osment), a tech prodigy (Levon Hawke), a vigilant bodyguard (Chris Costa), a scatterbrained assistant (Geena Davis), and a therapist (Kyle MacLachlan) who makes fleeting appearances. Accompanying them are Sarah (Adria Arjona), a former Survivor contestant; Camilla (Liz Caribel), an app developer who recently found success; and Heather (Trew Mullen), who takes pride in the ability to roll and smoke marijuana-filled cigars.

The tale depicts a mysterious enclave where life is idyllic, a supply of alcohol, gourmet meals, and camaraderie. The days blend into one another with no concept of time.  Worries melt away. Adam Newport-Berra’s cinematography beautifully captures the dreamlike atmosphere. This setup is captivating and the performances are strong. I was fully on board with the premise.

The situation escalates from unsettling to nightmarish. Not surprisingly, sinister elements emerge. As a whirlwind of drugs and champagne unfold, Frida and Jess find themselves entangled in a situation where not everything is as it seems. Inexplicable nosebleeds, a box of Polaroid photographs, and perpetually grinning members of the ground staff, add to the disturbing atmosphere. When Jess goes missing, Frida becomes worried. Her panic intensifies when none of the other guests even remember the woman.

The movie eventually reveals an incendiary “twist” that really isn’t a surprise at all. The audience is now driven by a thirst for revenge, with the narrative pushing us to applaud gruesome, bloodthirsty murders. For example, a man’s head is smashed to a pulp by a large rock, and the act is presented as something to be celebrated. There are others.  Placing the audience in a position to root for brutal retribution is a reprehensible exploitation, and it destroyed any interest I had in the story up to that point.

*Tis better to have a rough open with a sharp finish than a clever start that fizzles in the end. Sadly, Blink Twice is an example of the latter. It held my attention for about two-thirds of the runtime, recalling both Get Out and The Stepford Wives, but those flicks had more satisfying endings. Unfortunately, things descend into a standard revenge tale. It’s grotesque, lacking the mystique that made the earlier portions of the saga so compelling.  What begins as an intriguing enigma devolves into a tedious slasher film.

Actress Zoë Kravitz steps into the director’s chair for the first time with this project, co-writing the script with E.T. Feigenbaum. She takes some bold risks. I was engaged for most of the picture. The underlying commentary is effective for more than half. However, her inexperience shows as the story progresses, especially in the final act. The developments crumble under both logical and moral scrutiny, leaving a growing disdain for this deeply flawed work. While Zoë Kravitz demonstrates talent as a director, the ending is weak. Much like the characters whose trauma is suppressed, I would prefer to forget this.

08-22-24

Zoë is the daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet, who famously worked with Bill Cosby on TV during the 1980s. Although Bonet never alleged any impropriety against her former co-star, her connection to the disgraced comedian adds a layer of depth as the narrative addresses the subject of sexual violence against women.