A romantic island retreat turns sinister. Zoe Kravitz delivers an intriguing thriller in Blink Twice, starring Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie and Adria Arjona
If a handsome billionaire invites you to his private island with promises of the time of your life, would you go? Blink Twice begins with this question leading to deeper themes of power imbalance, effects of trauma, gender roles in society and more; all in a neat and pretty package of a genre movie by Zoe Kravitz in her remarkable directorial debut.
Frida (Naomi Ackie), a nail artist and part-time waitress is obsessed with the dashing and elusive tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum). She doesn’t want to pass up the opportunity to meet King at an exclusive event where she is part of the catering team. King appears as Prince Charming when Frida loses her balance due to a broken sandal and saves her. Sparks fly between them too fast and we barely have time to process what’s happening when King throws an impromptu invitation at Frida to his private island with a few friends.
Accompanied by her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat, an expert at playing strong characters), Frida is flown on a private jet and lands in an exotic place detached from the rest of the world. On the island, the men are Christian Slater, Simon Rex, and Haley Joel Osment playing Vic, Cody and Tom respectively. Along with Jess and Frida, the women are Adria Arjona, Liz Caribel and Trew Mullen playing Sarah, a winner of a reality show like Survivor but with models, Camilla, an app developer and Heather, an avid weed smoker, respectively.
The island has all the creature comforts one can imagine. The cinematography (Adam Newport-Berra) is precise, accentuating the island’s beauty, resembling a tropical vacation. Glitter and glamour drape the surface. Frida is in a romantic haze, pouring with an unlimited supply of champagne, exotic food and psychedelics. Ackie plays this part convincingly however, when Frida’s inner motivations are showcased in the latter part of the film, she fails to connect.
While Jess is there to support her friend, she can’t get rid of the eerie sense caused by her surroundings as she is jolted back to reality each time she loses her lighter. After all, they barely know anyone on the island. Everyone seems nice enough but she knows that to know a famous person from their videos isn’t the same as knowing them for real. The bitchiest person on the island is Sarah but even her insults are subtle while expressing enmity towards Frida through her eyes. Can Frida and Jess really trust anyone on the island?
The script’s answer to these questions is Tatum. As King, he is cool, smooth and sharp. Despite being the host, his personality is cleverly guarded in the movie. Repeating that ‘no one has to do anything they don’t want to’ or ‘they can leave any time they want’, his assured voice is comforting. 10 years ago in Foxcatcher, Tatum showed when the subject matter requires it, he can commit like the best in the business. While his career lacked participation in serious projects since then, here, he jumps back into gear with grit.
Adria Arjona is the best-kept secret of the movie as the more we get to know Sarah, the more admiration Arjona invokes. (check out Hit Man’s review starring Arjona to appreciate this budding star).
The terrifying parts of the movie are the ones that aren’t on the screen. Kravitz shows restraint that elevates the movie from slasher horrors like Hostel, providing an experience akin to Rosamary’s Baby and Get Out. The movie deftly balances the psychological thriller and horror aspects of the story providing a viewing experience that can be enjoyed many times over.
Given the story, some aspects are far-fetched but stranger things have happened. You won’t get all the answers here. The intention is to leave much to our imagination, which works, making the movie all the more terrifying for the things you don’t know. With intriguing performances, excellent photography and a well-told story, it is one of the better thrillers of recent times, At the very least, Blink Twice should be viewed by people in their 20s and 30s as a cautionary tale in distinguishing wishful thinking from instinct.
Slater King – ‘Are you having a good time?’
Frida – ‘I’m having a great time.‘