Review: 'Blink Twice' is a ticking time bomb of a movie that makes every second count
Gifted actress Zoë Kravitz makes her directorial debut with "Blink Twice," now in theaters, and makes it abundantly clear that she knows what she’s doing.
Even better, she knows how to have terrific, twisted fun while doing it.
The thriller plot, which combines fantasy-island romance with a menacing "Get Out" vibe, pivots around actor Channing Tatum, who is also Kravitz's fiancé, as canceled tech tycoon Slater King, a one-percenter who delights in inviting pretty people to his tropical island. Sex and trippy drugs flow freely on the island as a sinister energy creeps in like the yellow snakes slithering around the property.
In this #MeToo thriller, Slater is an obsession for Frida, a New York waitress and wannabe nail designer played by a captivating Naomi Ackie, so good as Whitney Houston in the film "I Wanna Dance with Somebody."
Frida is delighted to the max when she receives an invite to join Slater in his private paradise. They had only just met at a fundraiser where she waitressed. But Frida is not going to miss her chance as she jets off to the island, along with her roommate Jess (Alia Shawkat). What could go wrong?
If you’ve seen "Glass Onion" or "The Menu," you’ll know the answer is plenty. But Kravitz, who cowrote the insidiously clever script with E.T. Feigenbaum, keeps springing surprises right down to the head-spinning shocker of an ending.
Kravitz, the daughter of rock icon Lenny Kravitz and "Cosby" actress Lisa Bonet, grew up watching the rich enjoy their privileges, and that inside knowledge resonates in establishing the setting and mood. Frida and Jess are living the dream. But Jess’s joke line—"Do you think the human sacrifice is before or after dinner?"—also hints at trouble ahead.
To avoid spoilers, I’ll stick to the bare bones of what to know going in as Slater introduces Frida and Jess to his entourage, including right-hand Vic (Christian Slater), top chef Cody (Simon Rex), nerdy Tom (Haley Joel Osment), techie Lucas (Levon Hawke), therapist Rich (Kyle MacLachlan), and sister Stacy (Geena Davis). This is a cast that knows how to make every second count.
Among the babe contingent that Slater uses to decorate the mansion that looks like a tropical take on the hotel in "The Shining" you’ll find Camilla (Liz Caribel), Heather (Trew Mullen) and Sarah (Adria Arjona), a reality TV star (think "Survivor") that Arjona -- the scene-stealer who ignited sparks with Glen Powell in "Hit Man" -- plays like a feminist force of nature.
Tatum also earns high marks for the dangerous charm he brings to Slater, a hypocrite on a media apology tour that the infatuated Frida is ready to swallow until she starts waking up with dirt under her fingernails and no memory of what she actually did the night before.
Whoops! But whatever Slater and his minions are up to, Kravitz -- buoyed by a powerhouse performances from Ackie and Tatum -- makes sure that we never lose track of the fact that she’s making a movie about women who show up for each other when the going gets rough.
Kravitz has a playful spirit but she’s not playing around. This newbie director is no nepo baby. She knows how a movie should look and feel and resonate and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
For now, just dig into the suspenseful, socially aware "Blink Twice" and watch Kravitz use this ticking time bomb of a movie to skewer the inequities of gender, race, and class. She’s the real deal.
