BLINK TWICE is a 2024 psychological black comedy thriller film directed by Zoë Kravitz, in her directorial debut, from a screenplay she co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum. Kravitz began writing the screenplay under the original working title Pussy Island in 2017.
When tech billionaire Slater King meets Frida, he invites her to join him and his friends for a dream vacation on his private island. However, as strange things start to happen, she'll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out alive.
The cast includes Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, and Geena Davis.
BLINK TWICE made its debut in theaters August 23rd, courtesy of MGM Studios.
It honestly didn’t matter what I thought about the trailer for BLINK TWICE because I love me some Channing Tatum and I was going to see this movie no matter what, but the fact that his partner-in-crime Zoë Kravitz was also making her debut behind the camera really sealed it. I won’t say I had high expectations necessarily but I went in with an open mind and understanding that Kravitz would likely try to find a way to be unique with this project, and boy did she set the benchmark for a directing debut.
I don’t know if the key is to be dating a handsome and incredibly talented guy like Tatum that you can put in the lead role or not but BLINK TWICE was a fantastic film and an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. I watch a ton of movies, and I am starting to feel like the easiest way to gauge how much I like something is by how much I want to tell people about it after I leave the theater. If I am forcing myself to hold back from giving anything away because I so badly want to talk about what I just experienced but also don’t want to spoilt anything, I know that it was a damn good movie. BLINK TWICE is unique, hilarious, thrilling, through-provoking, and just so much fun.
The original story is the heart and soul of BLINK TWICE as it was interesting, mysterious, off-putting, and hilarious. The tone of the film was probably my favorite part as at times characters would just laugh at just how fucked up things were. I won’t spoil anything as per usual but BLINK TWICE does a great job keeping viewers guessing right until the very end.
The film actually has a very powerful message as it relates to trauma and our ability to break free from our past. As human beings we tend to be our own worst enemies with our non-stop worrying and never-ending anxieties which tend to eat away at us every minute of every day, and the film really does a great job touching on that. BLINK TWICE explores themes that will resonate with viewers in a unique way adding a ton of weight to the films overall message, and the way it is delivered was simply perfection.
I’m a Channing Tatum guy through and through and I am not ashamed to admit it, but more than anything else his acting chops are simply undeniable. The Alabama native has been working his tail off in the acting business for nearly 25 years, and at this point his name alone is enough to draw an audience. To be honest I actually didn’t realize he was dating Zoë Kravitz until a few months ago, who I absolutely love by the way. What a talented couple. Back to the movie, Tatum was the perfect choice for this role as he just has an ability to always seem sincere and grounded even if you know that something just isn’t right. He is just so handsome, charismatic, and charming to the point where he can disguise sinister ulterior motives and that basically sums up his character ,tech billionaire Slater King.
Starring alongside Tatum is Naomi Ackie who plays Frida, a struggling waitress who is invited along with her friend and roommate to the billionaires private island for an unforgettable getaway. I’m not all that familiar with Ackie as an actress and to be honest I was a bit confused with the casting choice at first, but she won me over and proved why she was right for this role. Although desperate to fit in and feel seen Ackie’s character has a certain strength and resilience that stands out as her strongest qualities. She was great here and I thought her chemistry with Tatum was top notch as well.
The supporting cast was just fantastic, from Alia Shawkat, to Christian Slater, right on to Simon Rex and Haley Joel Osment, better known as the kid from The Sixth Sense. Osment and Rex were both hilarious in ways that only they are capable of. Adria Arjona, fresh off killing it in the Netflix film The Hitman (preview and trailer here) alongside Glen Powell, is awesome yet again. She is gorgeous but also has this don’t fuck with me vibe to her that I can’t get enough of. I expect her to have a very high demand as an actress going forward.
The ageless Geena Davis of A League of Their Own fame plays a small but pivotal role and crushes it as usual, and I really enjoyed the supporting role played by Levon Hawke, the son of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Hawke is a very inexperienced actor but he came across as a veteran and played a super fun character. I actually had no idea he was Hawke and Thurman’s son until prepping this review but it made me like him even more. Cris Costa plays one of the smaller roles as Slater King’s security detail but he was still a great character. BLINK TWICE really knocked it out of the park with a fantastic and diverse cast.
I was blown away by the technical elements from BLINK TWICE, not because it was over the top or super reliant on them but because of smooth and well executed it was, particularly the cinematography, editing, and the score/soundtrack. In many ways the film has a bit of an indie feel as it successfully utilizes close-up shots and quite a few unique camera angles adding to the films big personality.
The feel and tone is a big part of BLINK TWICE and the score/soundtrack really helps to keep that going strong. This genre can be tricky to master mainly because the feel has to be right in order to keep audiences invested and I really don’t think it could have been better here. The film jumps from terrifying to hilarious so seamlessly I couldn’t help but nod in admiration. The editing team deserves a ton of credit as well because I don’t think the film had any wasted scenes.
THE VERDICT
An unflinching dark comedy psychological thriller hybrid that plays out like a deeply unsettling yet somehow hilarious fever dream, BLINK TWICE is a wild ride and a stellar debut for director and co-writer Zoë Kravitz. The film is packed full of tense moments and laugh-out-loud humor which is a rare balance. Allow yourself to become immersed in the original screenplay and this is an experience well worth the price of admission. Plus, we may be witnessing the emergence of a new Hollywood power couple in Kravitz and Tatum, and I am here for it.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.9/10
BLINK TWICE is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.