Blink Twice

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.

Stylish and promising. But fails to deliver. It falls into the emerging niche of "all is not what it seems...twist...white people are bad". Wish is disappointing. The premise has so much potential before trying to engage in some social justice tropes. To the point where the pacing gets thrown off. The first hour is non-eventful and overblown. There's a decent attempt at building an ominous sense of foreboding. But it just fails to deliver in the finale with end result feeling very rushed and underdeveloped.

The film is undoubtedly stylish, beautifully shot with some good performances. But it ultimately falls short.

First off, for a first time director, Zoe Kravitz has done very well. The film keeps everything interesting and goes along at a good pace.

Channing Tatum (being on the poster) is the draw for the audience. Especially, one that without him may not ultimately get a look in. He does a very competent job.

The sexual violence - there is a disclaimer at the start. That disclaimer, from what I saw in another review, is apparently a hint at what you should expect and the reviewer seemed disappointed that the sexual violence wasn't more graphic.

To address the issue, I personally didn't need to see that. For a few reasons, primarily this is NOT a film locking your head in position to confront you with the ugly reality of how sexual violence is perpetrated. We can gather that it's not good. We know.

What this film is primarily about psychological thriller. And we have seen films (not necessary addressing the issue at hand) like this across the decades. Pacey thrillers where you want the goody to outwit the evil baddy. And to that end, this does a very good job. It reveals the plot at a reasonable pace.

I don't want to spoilt the plot so I haven't talked about it. The trailer tells you what you need but ideally go into this not knowing anything.

You may even figure out the ending but even then it produces a twist to it all (albeit one that may counter the issues at hand).

This a metaphor for societies' ills with men who abuse women. And as such, we know in real life the awful things that happen. This film is simply packaging that as a thriller and providing a possible way to mitigate these ills even if the final turn is a little...imo....problematic.

You will enjoy this if you after a good night in and looking for a pacey thriller.

It is a lot better than some other thrillers I have seen recently.

If you're after extreme violence and horror, I suspect you will be disappointed.

Think more "Get Out" than say "Irreversible". Both great films, just different levels of violence.

Anyway, personally, I enjoyed it and it wasn't too overlong.

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.

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.