Blink Twice

Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut, is a stylish and vicious social thriller that's got a lot going for it. The movie follows Frida, a young middle class woman invited to a tech billionaire's private island. What starts out as a romantic luxurious getaway quickly turns into a seriously messed-up experience filled with memory loss, mind games, and a whole lot of dark satire.

Kravitz proves she's got skill behind the camera, delivering a movie that looks great and balances humor with some very tense moments. The cast is solid, the dialogue's sharp, and there's plenty of cool visuals that keep you hooked. Kravitz is definitely more than just an actor trying out directing-she's got skills to back it up.

But here's the thing, despite all the style, Blink Twice stumbles under its own weight. The plot tries to tackle way too much in too little time-toxic masculinity, trauma, white privilege, cancel culture-you name it, it's in there. Because of that, the story gets messy, losing some of its impact. The pacing drags with repetitive scenes and foreshadowing that's so on-the-nose it almost spoils itself. By the time the big twist rolls around, you've probably already guessed it, and it doesn't hit as hard as it should. The ending undermines the faux feminist message that left me almost as disappointed as Saltburn. That is only the tip of the thematic issues... but someone more knowledgeable on theory should delve into it deeper.

If you've seen movies like Glass Onion, Triangle of Sadness, The Menu, or Don't Worry Darling, this one's gonna feel familiar. That's both good and bad-it's got a bit of that same vibe but also feels a little stale, even though it starts off strong. Had it come out ten or so years ago it'd be a phenomenon.

Still, Blink Twice isn't without its moments. It's got style, for sure, and Kravitz's dark tone might just help it pick up a cult following. The movie tries to flip into slasher mode in the third act, which sorta works, though as a horror snob I kind of wanted more grit and gore. Horror fans might dig it, but don't expect it to blow you away or come out feeling better.

It's clear that Blink Twice is well-made, but it's also very unpleasant. Watching it, I felt deeply unsettled and incredibly anxious. It effectively drew me into the fantasy alongside the characters. Zoe Kravitz shows she's got a future as a director, and maybe with a bit more focus, a sequel could really deliver. For now, though, Blink Twice is a mixed bag-worth checking out for its style and some cool ideas, but don't go in expecting a masterpiece.

This film was good. Enjoyable but hard not to keep thinking about the "client list" of Epsteins island. Imagine who's on it. This movie gives insight to that.... Anybody and everybody...people are truly sick and this movie does not land far from many truths. See it for yourself. I enjoyed the slower pacing as you watch the story slowly unfold like a blooming flower. I usually don't care for Canning Tatum but he wasn't bad in this. I think Zoe's first effort was solid but hopefully she will continue to hone her craft. Curious to see what she does next. This film isn't perfect but was not a waste of time.

I was excited to watch a new original movie I knew nothing about, going in without watching a trailer. Overall, it's a mostly a solid movie, but never reaches the highs it could have. It doesn't seem to maximize the potential created by the setup. This could be for a few reasons.

It starts with an interesting premise that had me mildly intrigued. We get to the island quickly, but we sort of meander in the island party life for far too long. We know something fishy is going on, but the plot does not progress. It's almost a full hour into the movie before anything big happens.

I found myself getting impatient, and that's without watching the trailer. Now after seeing the trailer (which gives away SO much), it was likely significantly worse for anyone who watched it beforehand. They already knew what was coming and had to wait the majority of the runtime for it to get to that point.

By comparison, Midsommar is a full hour longer (Director's cut is double the runtime of Blink Twice). And it also has a scene of them enjoying some drugs, which is much funnier. Yet it has several creepy scenes building tension, even in the first 30 minutes. That's how you keep your audience invested and in suspense, even for a 3-hour movie.

Another reason I feel like this misses is the dark comedy aspect. I LOVE dark comedies (Beau is Afraid omg). But I only laughed a few times in Blink Twice, and it wasn't for lack of trying. Several other attempts fall flat.

I think Zoe Kravitz is a highly talented actress. I'm also basically in love with her and watch most movies she's in. But directing is a vastly different skill set, as is writing. It probably wasn't wise to take on both in her directorial debut. It's solid for a first effort, and she may have a future in this field. But it does feel off in many ways, which made sense when I found out it was a directorial debut.

But why not focus on acting? She should be getting major lead roles in top-quality movies with elite directors. Very few actors stay relevant in their older years. That's when you can write and direct. And in the meantime, continue gaining valuable experience while maximizing your time as a star actress.

One other note that has zero bearing on my rating. Was anyone else distracted by the lead actress's teeth gap? I couldn't stop looking at it, lol.

I can see some people liking this. But I think most will find it underwhelming.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday 8/22/2024)

The impressive parts of BLINK TWICE do not add up to a satisfying whole. This is a visually appealing film filled with solid performances by accomplished actors. It also is a weird film devoid of thrills, tension, frights, or emotions. Though the performances are good, the characters are undefined. Without improving on them, the script cribs from GLASS ONION, THE MENU, and other limited location thrillers.

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.

A waitress meets a rich elitist while being clumsy and making mistakes who then takes her and her friends to a secluded island with other people, all is good for a short time until it isn't without spoiling what happens. Zoë Kravitz wrote and directed this so probably knows all about this stuff being a child of the industry. They even make a joke about human sacrifices, which I found very interesting.

Is it well directed? I'd say yes for Zoe's first film but the characters in these movies when there is a group of people and their interactions are kinda boring and generic, what you have seen a million times before until initially two characters get on the same wavelength with what's going on and all hell breaks loose.

Not sure what else I can say without spoiling the film, all is well acted and shot.