Blink Twice Review
With some fantastic visuals and great twists, Blink Twice is a thrilling exploration of memory as weapon amidst the bored ultra-rich.
When disgraced billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) invites waitresses Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat) to his private island for a group holiday full of debauchery, they think they have hit the jackpot. But things aren’t all that they seem, and when Jess goes missing, Frida teams up with some of her fellow guests to solve the mystery.
In her directorial debut, Zoe Kravitz is shown to be a very assured and talented hand. She navigates this film without ever letting it drag or linger, and instead at 1 hour and 42 minutes, feels like the perfect length.
It’s a film that perhaps feels a little claustrophobic and low rent in the opening minutes, despite some inspired set design with a staircase, but really picks up once it reaches the island. On the island, the use of colour, symmetry and sound design really works to set a tone and a mood, even before the latter becomes so significant to the plot.
Naomi Ackie and Alia Shawkat have a wonderful friendship chemistry, and their relationship feels real and lived in. Channing Tatum is really fun, both as the charmant billionaire and the eventually unhinged apologist in the end. Adria Arjona is also wonderful, and perhaps the movie’s biggest surprise from a casting perspective as she really becomes quite the fun heroine. Her work in a particular scene smoking a fat blunt is perhaps the best in the film.
What really sets Blink Twice apart is the plot, which is a testament to how the film is so fresh and interesting. The story unfurls in a way that feels truly surprising; you can’t really predict where it is going, and the eventual twist towards the very end is remarkably unexpected. For a film that doesn’t really push the boundaries in terms of storytelling - it’s a pretty standard linear film, not like Kravitz is really playing with the formula - that is a testament to the script itself.
Ultimately, Blink Twice is a really effective, engaging thriller; sort of a less scary, less socially resonant Get Out.
