Blink Twice, the debut feature from actor Zoë Kravitz, has generated a lot of buzz this year, much of it focused on the director’s high-profile relationship with her leading man (and producer), Channing Tatum. The flashy trailer promised a fun and stylish psychological thriller with a cast stacked with fan favourites, and I for one, was looking forward to it. Sadly, rather than delivering the kind of sharp satire proffered by the superior Get Out (to which it is greatly indebted), Kravitz has instead crafted a slick and somewhat shallow girl power fable that never quite feels like it hits the way it should.
Written at the height of the #MeToo movement, and informed by Kravitz’ Hollywood insider perspective (Kravitz is the daughter of famed musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet), the film takes aim at the subversive and persistent misogyny of the rich and powerful. With a nod to the current cultural zeitgeist, the film opens with billionaire tech mogul Slater King (Tatum) making a vague public apology for some unnamed infraction that has resulted in him stepping down as CEO of his company. Our heroine, Frida (Naomi Ackie) watches the apology on her phone before heading out to her gig as a cocktail waitress at a swanky event, where she encounters the man himself in something of a meet cute, undeterred by his past crimes (or his creepy therapist, played to perfection by Kyle Maclachlan). Chatting away into the early hours, King invites Frida and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) to join him on his private island.
Upon their arrival, Slater’s assistant (and sister) Stacy (Geena Davis), confiscates their phones in some specious gesture toward “living in the moment.” After some initial misgivings, the pair cooperate with the request, and get acquainted with their fellow guests: a gaggle of King’s old friends (played by the likes of Christian Slater, Simon Rex, and Haley Joel Osment) and their female companions – including the surly but stunning Sarah (Adria Arjona), conveniently the champion of a Survivor style reality show. The gang settles into their luxurious digs, lounging by the pool and getting showered with gifts, drugs, and five-star meals thanks to private chef Cody (Rex).
The days go on and on in a hazy and repetitive fashion reminiscent of an episode of Big Brother, and I had to wonder… do none of these people have jobs to get back to? Apparently not. In any case, the group seems to be enjoying their extended holiday, though boredom and anxiety start to set in as the crisp veneer of their surroundings starts to crack. Increasingly, Frida and Jess are less and less inclined to ignore the strange matching tattoos and cryptic comments of the staff, and start to question their lapses in memory. One day, Frida wakes up to find that Jess has disappeared, with all traces of her wiped out – including the memories of the other guests.
To reveal more of the plot would spoil the mystery, but suffice it to say the rest of the story unfurls in sadly expected fashion. Rightfully, the film is preceded by a trigger warning, but my distaste for what is revealed stems not from its gratuitous presentation, but in its depressing predictability. Barring a truly bizarre choice of ending, the film contains few surprises, and by leaning far too hard on references to superior films, fails to make up for it with anything approximating a fresh perspective. Kravitz does appear to be trying to shoehorn in some kind of commentary about women supporting other women, but overall, the cultural critique contained within the film feels fairly unsophisticated, treading little new territory.
Kravitz started writing the script for Blink Twice (alongside E.T. Feigenbaum) before the #MeToo movement was truly underway, at a time where a discussion of these kinds of violent power dynamics was much less of an open conversation in popular media. Perhaps if this film had been released ten years ago, its content would have felt more cutting. As it stands, the importance of the film’s subject matter calls for more nuanced treatment. For now, the old maxim stands: timing really is everything.
Blink Twice is currently available on streaming video/VOD.
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