Watch out! Even if you’re “having a good time.” So, what’s the point? If a tech billionaire comes down to earth wanting to whisk you away to his private island for no reason at all. How about blinking twice, just in case your friend is there as well for moral support? If this sounds familiar as a narrative film concept, then it is. But Zoë Kravitz takes these old clichés and makes something flashy and trippy in her debut directorial feature (with E.T. Feigenbaum from her series High Fidelity).
This helps when she’s casting Blink Twice, even though Kravitz doesn’t cast herself besides other artists of equal talent. Yes, she’s only behind the camera this time; nonetheless, she demonstrates potential in this role. Blink Twice also includes her real-life husband Channing Tatum who has been quite busy on the big screen with another juicy new character named Slater. A real-life Slater — Christian Slater — is also along playing his rich buddy as we venture into an absurdly extravagant hideout featuring some rather uncanny occurrences.
Maybe seeing Tatum go very dark might be enough to fill this weekend’s seats on its own but also when Blink Twice makes some crazy twists during its second and third acts. At least Kravitz’s effort on direction will get people talking and showcase her design skills.
Naomi Ackie plays Frida, the damsel in distress in the movie that actually needs to “blink twice” if she is really in danger. Or perhaps that would be more like joking around, albeit one which Rich—Slater’s therapist played by Fallout Kyle MacLachlan—makes upon meeting one another at Slater’s latest gala where Frida happens to be working as a caterer during the movie’s 1st act. Once before, Ackie displayed an innocence akin to Whitney Houston herself in a disappointing I Wanna Dance With Somebody, but here it is much more effective thanks to Kravitz’s confident and skillful direction as well as her script written together with E.T. Feigenbaum.
After Frida gets on Slater’s good side at the gala, she and roommate Jessie (Alia Shawkat from Search Party and Arrested Development) are soon jetting off to a private island. I.e., isn’t she only a waitress among this group of people? It doesn’t matter anyway. Those arresting eyes of Slater’s can’t seem to look away from her and now he wants her to go on the vacay with his eccentric buddies.
In addition to MacLachlan’s Rich and friend Vic (Christian Slater), there is also snooty chef pal Cody (Simon Rex from Red Rocket), part-time animal Tom (Haley Joel Osment, having fun!), nervous PR woman Stacy (Geena Davis—hell yeah!) plus some others. Moreover, while Frida and Jess aren’t the only ones on board the plane, neither are they sinking into depression about being in transit with Sarah who seems chilly as ice yet perceives them all as potential rivals seeking recognition from wealthy Mr. Slater trivia or HITMAN’S Adria Arjona).
It is also true that sexual tension and the inherent power struggle therein becomes a prominent aspect of the film’s narrative and themes. (Does the title quibble on sexism in Bob Dylan’s great song, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right?”) Soon after this, Frida started watching YouTube videos of Slater with needy eyes as he confessed his sins, though single girls kept away from everything he had or owned in his ridiculously posh cabin.
However, as suggested by Blink Twice promotional campaign, it starts to feel like Ari Aster’s Midsommar once Frida and Jess’ trip begins with no end date in sight. In their days on the island some weird staff began behaving strangely. The film plays satirically around its rich holiday makers who are shown as snooty party animals wearing heart-shaped sunglasses like Tom or those bros who have an endless list of party songs.
Those glasses really rock. However, there are other interesting props and symbols throughout that story which ultimately gain significant thematic weight such as Jess’ cigarette lighter that everyone passes around to subtly reveal some jaw-dropping truths when second and third acts come round. There was an uncomfortable moment when everyone realized that the vacation was turning into a forgiveness based event in which if you couldn’t get over your grudge maybe Slater could help you become wealthy…
Unfortunately, this latter half of the story falls short somewhat because these rules seem to be intentionally cruel at times yet each time they bend conveniently to shape her narrative. This is like what went down during A Quiet Place for those who thought there were logical gaps in certain parts and “ground rules.” Also expect your head be scratching for examples where villains did X but failed miserably at Y.
In fact one may argue that these little things don’t matter much in life’s grand scheme. It mostly takes us on an unpredictable journey showcasing Tatum’s range alongside Ackie’s performance, Shawkat’s talent, and Arjona’s professional ability. Additionally, the supporting cast members like Rex who is always hilarious while complaining about rich adults babies life only add to the dark comedy of it all. And near the end, when women realize a lot of nasty things about guys’ deeds, you may just jump with joy over another revenge plot. It is mostly pretty entertaining, visually lush, and with high-concept editing to match—well done Ms Kravitz.
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