Blink Twice

I went into this film without knowing anything, which is uncharacteristic of me. I didn't read about its production, didn't watch a trailer, didn't even know it was directed by Zoë Kravitz. I came home late from work and sat down for the first thing Amazon Prime promoted me that seemed watchable.

One thing's for sure though, this film stayed with me long after the credits. It kept me up all night and I imagine it's going to haunt me for days still. I tried to soothe with distractions but no trauma group or therapist prepared me for how triggered I would still get. Imagine if Get Out (2017, dir. Jordan Peele) had a baby with Promising Young Woman (2020, dir. Emerald Fennell) and Made for Love (TV Series 2021-2022, dir. Alissa Nutting). Unlike most revenge fantasies though, this film and the last two which were also created by women, understands something most male directors don't - we have to live in this world with our bad guys. They don't get to just die in a blaze of glory as we slo-mo walk away into a life of vindicated righteousness. While the film alluded to sexual assault of men as well (and the unfortunate fixation on the adage that "hurt people hurt people") the experience is still gendered extremely disproportionately.

It is a richly lit, shockingly edited, revolting look at wealth much in the style of Triangle of Sadness (2022, dir. Ruben Östlund) but it contributes unique and unexpected twists that kept me glued to the screen without pause. Like so many excellent films being made today, it is hard, raw, unrelenting, and it also forced me to once again face impossible things. I can't say it was healing but much of the healing journey doesn't feel like repair. It feels more like a burdensome pit in my stomach whose influence changes from age to age. Blink Twice brought up rage. Beautiful, deep, painful rage.

This is mainly due to:

• the very good actors, who are

charismatic and convincing. Especially the role of the self-made billionaire Channing Tatum and Adria Arjona.

Adria Arjona is the secret star of the movie - in my opinion. She looks stunning and plays the funniest scenes in the movie.

• and the story, which keeps you interested in how all of this is going to play out.

Basically, there are some "Saltburn" vibes (the rich invite the normal people to a non-stop party time, separated from the rest of the world) and some "Get Out" vibes. (Something seems wrong here).

The soundtrack is also really nice.

An absolutely brilliant choice of music, mainly soul/funk/Disco. Rufus with Chaka Khan, James Brown, and more.

And the movie is funny. It's almost a comedy, even though it's actually a brutal mystery thriller.

I recommend checking out this little gem. Don't listen to the extremely negative reviews. Haters gonna hate.

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.

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 really looking forward to "Blink Twice" after the trailer caught my eye. Sadly, the movie didn't live up to the hype. It started off pretty slow with too much time spent on party scenes that didn't really go anywhere or add much to the story.

When things finally started to happen, it all felt rushed and the ending was a letdown. It seemed like the film had the pieces to be really interesting but just couldn't put them together in a satisfying way.

Overall, "Blink Twice" has a cool idea but doesn't quite nail the execution. It might be worth a watch if you're curious, but it might not live up to your expectations.