Blink once if all is well, blink twice if in danger.
If you’ve ever had the uncomfortable sensation of being influenced and persuaded to do something you feel you shouldn’t, that doubt is at the heart of Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice.
Director Zoë Kravitz | Courtesy: Gage Skidmore
Kravitz brings high-stakes drama to her social thriller about power, exploitation and the alternate reality of the uber wealthy.
Naomi Ackie is as Real as one could get
Naomi Ackie gets the accolades here. She puts in a memorable performance.
Her portrayal of Frida, a struggling waitress who gets drawn into a shady billionaire’s world, is just fantastic.
She understands how to squeeze the most out of her cast, especially in the trippy freakout scenes with Channing Tatum’s character, Slater King. She keeps the momentum moving despite the occasional storytelling lulls, thanks to her visual style and intensity.
Ackie is on point with every complex emotion. She makes you feel like you’re right there with Frida, and her unsettling experiences.
Zoë Kravitz directs with serious Guts and Glory
Similarities can be made to the great films, Glass Onion and Get Out, as the mood she created here is straight-up creepy and ominous from the start. The tracking shots following Frida through Slater King’s remote island mansion sends shivers, exuding the notion that something terrible clearly happened there.
It’s impressive how Kravitz can switch gears from actress to director. She knows how to get the most out of her cast, especially in the scenes with Tatum’s Slater King character. Even when the pacing lingers, her visual style and atmosphere keep you glued to the screen.
This is a director who isn’t afraid of the messy, creepy stuff. Major respect for going there on her first time as a director. Can’t wait to see what she does next.
Hard to Watch, Harder to Ignore
This movie is uncomfortable. It deals with some very heavy topics like sex trafficking, manipulation, drugs, rape and abuse. Kravitz wants to rip the mask off men who use their power to exploit young women.
It should be noted that there were moments in this film that turned my stomach. The moment when Frida starts getting hallucinations and you can’t even tell what’s real anymore. Deeply disturbing. I had to look away a few times. The star power of Adria Arjona, Alia Shawkat, Liz Caribel, Geena Davis, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Levon Hawke, Haley Joel Osment and Kyle MacLachlan make the moments feel so real, so brutal.
Why does this matter? Because sometimes we need to be confronted with the ugly side of humanity before real change can happen.
Kravitz knows ignoring it won’t make it disappear. These situations have gone on for far too long. It’s time to lift the veil and tell these stories openly by holding people accountable.
Particularly striking are the contrasting similarities with University Campus Student/Teacher Toga Party Events, the horror of Epstein Island with Royal Family members, Oligarchs, Politicians, a former Australian Prime Minister’s National Apology of “I’m Sorry” to the Indigenous Stolen Generation, as well as a posthumous apology by South Africa’s last white president, F.W. de Klerk for the apartheid crimes committed to people of color, hours after his death. Kravitz provides a heavily weighted contextual presentation of mirroring ulterior motives of the crimes of coercive control, rape, assault, murder, slavery and colonialism.
A Storyline That Keeps You Guessing
Plot-wise, “Blink Twice” has some interesting twists and turns.
At first, I had no idea where anything was heading. Fleeting glimpses of danger, adorned with luxury and titillation.
Within the blink of an eye, it slowly spirals into a freaky psychological nightmare. The editing gets choppier, the music more jarring. The climax leaves your head spinning with more questions than answers.
Poignant points such as bystanders who don’t intervene (cowardice), the “Good Guy” trope, misusing political and powerful connections, are proportionate to the grizzly, stoic Alpha-Male fads of being very “touchy-feely,” boat parties and fishing trips are in question here.
An Ending That Sticks with You
No tidy resolutions here.
When the end credits started to roll, I was awestruck about so much being left uncertain about what would happen to Frida next. Does she end up escaping or falling back under Slater’s control? Is her mind too far gone?
The audience being left hanging will no doubt frustrate some people. For me, it made the movie’s message hit even harder. These scenarios continue to this day behind closed doors. The victims rarely get any real closure or justice.
By denying a clear ending, Kravitz forces the audience to live with the discomfort. The story stays with you for days after. Now that’s impact.
Final Verdict
Overall, Blink Twice is not perfect but the acting and the directing are done so well that I really enjoyed it enough to be memorable.
Some of the pacing and prose could be tighter, but ultimately this is a fearless and unflinchingly honest first. As a director, Kravitz is not afraid to look at the horrid side of celebrity, money and power.
juni 
OPINION |
Blink once if all is well, blink twice if in danger.
If you’ve ever had the uncomfortable sensation of being influenced and persuaded to do something you feel you shouldn’t, that doubt is at the heart of Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice.
Kravitz brings high-stakes drama to her social thriller about power, exploitation and the alternate reality of the uber wealthy.
Naomi Ackie is as Real as one could get
Naomi Ackie gets the accolades here. She puts in a memorable performance.
Her portrayal of Frida, a struggling waitress who gets drawn into a shady billionaire’s world, is just fantastic.
She understands how to squeeze the most out of her cast, especially in the trippy freakout scenes with Channing Tatum’s character, Slater King. She keeps the momentum moving despite the occasional storytelling lulls, thanks to her visual style and intensity.
Ackie is on point with every complex emotion. She makes you feel like you’re right there with Frida, and her unsettling experiences.
Zoë Kravitz directs with serious Guts and Glory
Similarities can be made to the great films, Glass Onion and Get Out, as the mood she created here is straight-up creepy and ominous from the start. The tracking shots following Frida through Slater King’s remote island mansion sends shivers, exuding the notion that something terrible clearly happened there.
It’s impressive how Kravitz can switch gears from actress to director. She knows how to get the most out of her cast, especially in the scenes with Tatum’s Slater King character. Even when the pacing lingers, her visual style and atmosphere keep you glued to the screen.
This is a director who isn’t afraid of the messy, creepy stuff. Major respect for going there on her first time as a director. Can’t wait to see what she does next.
Hard to Watch, Harder to Ignore
This movie is uncomfortable. It deals with some very heavy topics like sex trafficking, manipulation, drugs, rape and abuse. Kravitz wants to rip the mask off men who use their power to exploit young women.
It should be noted that there were moments in this film that turned my stomach. The moment when Frida starts getting hallucinations and you can’t even tell what’s real anymore. Deeply disturbing. I had to look away a few times. The star power of Adria Arjona, Alia Shawkat, Liz Caribel, Geena Davis, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Levon Hawke, Haley Joel Osment and Kyle MacLachlan make the moments feel so real, so brutal.
Why does this matter? Because sometimes we need to be confronted with the ugly side of humanity before real change can happen.
Kravitz knows ignoring it won’t make it disappear. These situations have gone on for far too long. It’s time to lift the veil and tell these stories openly by holding people accountable.
Particularly striking are the contrasting similarities with University Campus Student/Teacher Toga Party Events, the horror of Epstein Island with Royal Family members, Oligarchs, Politicians, a former Australian Prime Minister’s National Apology of “I’m Sorry” to the Indigenous Stolen Generation, as well as a posthumous apology by South Africa’s last white president, F.W. de Klerk for the apartheid crimes committed to people of color, hours after his death. Kravitz provides a heavily weighted contextual presentation of mirroring ulterior motives of the crimes of coercive control, rape, assault, murder, slavery and colonialism.
A Storyline That Keeps You Guessing
Plot-wise, “Blink Twice” has some interesting twists and turns.
At first, I had no idea where anything was heading. Fleeting glimpses of danger, adorned with luxury and titillation.
Within the blink of an eye, it slowly spirals into a freaky psychological nightmare. The editing gets choppier, the music more jarring. The climax leaves your head spinning with more questions than answers.
Poignant points such as bystanders who don’t intervene (cowardice), the “Good Guy” trope, misusing political and powerful connections, are proportionate to the grizzly, stoic Alpha-Male fads of being very “touchy-feely,” boat parties and fishing trips are in question here.
An Ending That Sticks with You
No tidy resolutions here.
When the end credits started to roll, I was awestruck about so much being left uncertain about what would happen to Frida next. Does she end up escaping or falling back under Slater’s control? Is her mind too far gone?
The audience being left hanging will no doubt frustrate some people. For me, it made the movie’s message hit even harder. These scenarios continue to this day behind closed doors. The victims rarely get any real closure or justice.
By denying a clear ending, Kravitz forces the audience to live with the discomfort. The story stays with you for days after. Now that’s impact.
Final Verdict
Overall, Blink Twice is not perfect but the acting and the directing are done so well that I really enjoyed it enough to be memorable.
Some of the pacing and prose could be tighter, but ultimately this is a fearless and unflinchingly honest first. As a director, Kravitz is not afraid to look at the horrid side of celebrity, money and power.
Rating: 7/10
Now showing in Cinemas.
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