“Blink Twice” is a good reminder that there are few things as exciting to movie lovers as seeing the assured debut of a new director. While co-writer/director Zoë Kravitz has been working in front of the camera for many years, this is her first time helming a feature film and it’s an impressive feat. Whether it’s Ana Lily Amirpour’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night,” Robert Eggers’ “The Witch,” or Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” these bold introductions belie the nascent nature of the talent involved and show an artist in excellent control of her abilities. “Blink Twice” isn’t as revolutionary as those other debuts, but it is a solid mix of comedy and thriller that is buoyed by excellent performances, strong cinematography, and an integrity to the subject matter that is as refreshing as it is dark. Kravitz has crafted an engrossing, drug-infused meditation on trauma and abuse that may not be the most original take but is a very engaging experience.
Frida (Naomi Ackie) is a waitress struggling to make ends meet when she meets her crush, tech bro billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), at a charity event. Soon Frida and her roommate, Jess (Alia Shawkat), are whisked away to Slater’s private island along with a group of hangers-on (Simon Rex, Christian Slater, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Liz Caribel, Levon Hawke, Trew Mullen). The crew drink and do drugs and eat delicious food and are having the perfect escape from reality. But doubt starts to creep in and Frida believes that everything is not as it seems.
There are certainly some convoluted plot elements to “Blink Twice” that work better as metaphors than actual events, but the rest of the movie is so well done that it doesn’t really matter. That’s the thing with script contrivances/plot holes: if everything else is working, they can be easily explained away or glossed over; if the film is already damaged goods, they just become more egregious examples of things going awry. The script, by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, does many things right by quickly establishing characters and dynamics (or at least, how these things appear to be) without going into too much depth. Through shorthand and interactions, these people become naturally drawn and easily understood. In lesser hands, it would take a lot of exposition, but “Blink Twice” manages to briefly sketch out these folks so you feel like you know with whom you’re dealing…even if you may be totally wrong about those impressions through purposeful misdirection.
Once on the island, there is a constant “too good to be true” vibe that can occasionally feel too protracted from the big reveal, but Kravitz expertly controls the tempo and tone so that any time it’s becoming dull or you think you know what’s happening, things are switched up and a new wrinkle is added. The reveal itself may feel obvious (and again, mildly hinges upon some convoluted narrative tomfoolery), but it also feels real and earned through the time spent with these characters we know so well and the world that Kravitz and company have created. The lush tropical setting is beautifully captured by director of photography Adam Newport-Berra, who wonderfully makes it all look like paradise while still finding ways to insert menace into that idyllic imagery. Once the turn comes about in the third act, that insidious element takes over and the shadows become more pronounced in a way that again feels like a natural extension of what has come before.
It really is the greatest strength of “Blink Twice” that the film, despite essentially existing in two phases (before the reveal and after), feels so cohesive. The new aspects of characters don’t feel like massive curveballs but more like realistic facets from what we know of everyone. And Kravitz shows a willingness to truly go for the darkness, not sugarcoating or handwaving for insinuation about what may be going on but very bluntly confronting it in a way that is purposefully uncomfortable but refreshingly honest. A lot of this is borne out of the performances of the actors, some of whom facilitate between clownish partygoers and possibly sinister forces. They are all intoxicating and it’s easy to see how one would become enamored by the island escape. Tatum is especially effective as a force that should be repellent (gross tech bro forced into retirement due to some scandal?) but is charming in very personable ways.
The ability to go from pretty hilarious moments to tense sequences (and back again) is handled with aplomb by the cast and director nicely—never feeling disjoined but instead like parts of a complicated whole. Zoë Kravitz has crafted a very entertaining and engaging movie that is truly remarkable for her first time helming a feature. There is a naturalistic effortlessness between the cast that perfectly sets up for a much bloodier third act that would be hard for any filmmaker to pull off, no matter how seasoned. It’s exciting to get this vibrant new voice into the genre world and to deliver such a compelling film. “Blink Twice” is not perfect, but it is a tremendously impressive experience that heralds a bold new talent worth watching for in the future.
3.5 / 5 Stars
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Liz Caribel, Levon Hawke, Trew Mullen, Geena Davis, Kyle McLachlan
Directed by: Zoë Kravitz
