Title – Blink Twice (2024) 

Director – Zoë Kravitz (feature debut) 

Cast – Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment

Plot – On a private island ran by tech billionaire Slater King (Tatum), friends Frida (Ackie) and Jess (Shawkat) begin to suspect something is afoot in the seemingly idyllic setting.  

“That’s gonna open up beautifully”

Review by Eddie on 07/10/2024

Teaming up with her boyfriend Channing Tatum for a unique and promising debut behind the camera, actress turned director Zoë Kravitz channels her inner Quentin Tarantino/Jordan Peele for  social commentary grounded thriller Blink Twice, a flashy launch into the directional landscape that is sure to win over many fans despite its varied shortcomings.

An at times bitingly sharp examination of abuse of power, Twice appears early on to be a film set to tread a familiar path as Naomi Ackie’s Frida and Alia Shawkat’s Jess find themselves as unplanned guests to Tatum’s tech guru/billionaire Slater King’s remote island but thankfully Kravitz avoids the well trod paths for the majority as her star-studded ensemble and pristine visuals mould together to create a unique if often frustratingly underdeveloped/underexplored tale. 

Overcoming a slightly messy and sometimes unappealing first half, one filled with more sinister possibilities and red herrings than an M. Night Shyamalan jaunt as well as some not always likable personalities that includes Christian Slater’s polaroid loving Vic, Haley Joel Osment’s sleazy Tom and Adria Arjona’s reality TV star Sarah, Twice starts to really catch fire when the awareness of what’s going on on this seemingly beautifully remote island becomes more apparent. 

Without venturing in spoiler territory where Kravitz is content to take her characters and viewers is quite memorable and while no means easy viewing at times Twice feels like an appropriate movie for our current times, that while weighted down by some lazily explained or weak explorations of certain elements is a brave and incendiary examination of some heavy subject matters done in a fresh and energetic manner by Kravitz and her creative team. 

Key too Twice’s mid-level success is the performances of Tatum and rising star Arjona with Tatum getting to delve deep into his unnerving side as the mysteriously calculated Slater while Hit Man breakout star Arjona does enough here to suggest she’s bound for superstardom, standing out amongst a solid cast of seasoned performers, Twice is a fine showcase for Kravitz’s ability to draw something out of her cast members, an exciting possibility for all moving forward.

Never able to quite come together in the way that would’ve made this a genuine must-see thriller, Twice is sure to find a much wider and receptive audience now in its home streaming run than it did on its relatively muted theatrical release. 

Final Say – 

A promising debut effort from Zoë Kravitz, Blink Twice may have its fair share of weaknesses but when it gets on a roll this is top notch viewing with some great performances littered throughout. 

3 1/2 painted nails out of 5