Blink Twice is an intelligent psychological thriller movie by debutant director Zoë Kravitz. It shocked us with its realistic tales of brutal crimes that have plagued the unequal world.
The inspiration behind this fictional mystery drama is a bunch of well-known tales of exploitations in the USA. No doubt, we live in a world of inequality and injustice.
‘Blink Twice’ Raises Pertinent Social Issues & It Is A Smart Psychological Thriller With A Strong Feminist Perspective
“The Blink Twice movie is a psychological thriller about the abuse of power. While this is a fictionalized movie, it contains mature themes and depictions of violence – including sexual violence.”
A word of caution | Amazon MGM Studios
Trailer (Official): Blink Twice (2024/USA) Movie
Spoiler Free Review: Blink Twice (2024/USA) Movie
The summary/synopsis
At a fundraising gala, tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie), leading to an instant spark between them. He invites her to join him and his friends for a dream vacation on his private island. This idyllic setting transforms into a paradise, where lively nights flow into sun-kissed days, and all participants enjoy a remarkable time.
All individuals involved express a shared enthusiasm for the trip to carry on; yet, as bizarre occurrences take place, Frida begins to lose confidence in her sense of reality. There is something fundamentally wrong with this setting. To survive this party, she must unveil the truth. And if the truth is harsh and unpalatable, then the life-altering question for Frida is how to deal with the same.
Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut is impressive, to say the least
The ‘Blink Twice’ movie heralds the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz. In the past, we have seen the performances of the beautiful actress Zoë in some of the well-known projects.
Movies: The Batman (2022), Kimi (2022), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), No Reservations (2007), etc.
Series: High Fidelity (2020), Big Little Lies (2017-2019), Californication (2011), etc.
Inspired by real-life incidents (check spoilers), the writing team of Zoë Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum has penned a thought-provoking tale with a strong feminist perspective. Now, while watching her notable directorial debut, in the first half of the film, we honestly felt that the story was moving at a slow pace and not going anywhere.
But, it all changed, as her film suddenly picked pace in the second half. And then the mood of the film changed in the blink of an eye. Zoë admirably introduces mystery, suspense, thrills, creepiness and eerie silence into the film. We, the viewers, were suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding. We realized that something criminally wrong had taken place.
The ensemble cast is well led by Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum & Adria Arjona
In this proverbial battle of the sexes, the heroines portrayed by actresses Naomi Ackie (Frida) and Adria Arjona (Sarah) and others find themselves caught in an impossible and life-threatening situation on an island. Unexpectedly, they are up against the rich and powerful negative characters played by Channing Tatum (Slater), Christian Slater (Vic), and others. The entire ensemble cast has done a fairly good job in playing their respective roles.
The balance of power between the two sets of people is too lopsided. On one hand, the man, the tech billionaire Slater owns a private island, a private mansion and a private jet. On the other hand, the woman, the cocktail waitress Frida has limited economic means. In this realistic tale of social and economic power dynamics, the wealthy men hold all the power. While the poor women are made to suffer wrongdoings of all kinds by powerful men.
The conclusion
Kudos to Zoë Kravitz. She picked a profound story with a thoughtful theme for her debut. Besides, she made feminine voices heard. Now, we look forward to watching her next film.
Rating: Blink Twice (2024/USA) Movie
| FM Rating | 3.75/5 |
Poster: Blink Twice (2024/USA) Movie
Key Details: Blink Twice (2024/USA) Movie
| Genre | Mystery, Thriller (Psychological) |
| Original Language | English (USA) |
| Duration | 1 hour 42 minutes |
| Writers | Zoë Kravitz & E.T. Feigenbaum |
| Director | Zoë Kravitz |
| Taglines | Blink And You’ll Miss It Are you having a good time? |
| Cast | Channing Tatum (Slater), Naomi Ackie (Frida), Adria Arjona (Sarah), Christian Slater (Vic), Alia Shawkat (Jess), Simon Rex (Cody), Liz Caribel (Camilla), Haley Joel Osment (Tom), Trew Mullen (Heather), Levon Hawke (Lucas), Geena Davis (Stacy), Kyle MacLachlan (Rich), Cris Costa (Stan), etc. |
| Distributor | Amazon MGM Studios |
Spoilers Alert: Movie Title, Movie Inspirations, & Ending Explained
Extra information about the movie title
While watching it, you will surely see this scene in the film. At a fundraising gala event, Frida requests the therapist Dr Rich Stein to blink twice should she find herself in peril. He responds by blinking two times, signifying that she is indeed in a threatening situation. So, the title "Blink Twice" seems apt.
The writing of the “Blink Twice” movie by Zoë Kravitz began in 2017 under the preliminary title “Pussy Island”. Although she wished to preserve this original title for the film, negative responses from the MPAA, female viewers, and theatres necessitated a revision. Thankfully.
Ending Explained – what was the fate of Slater and Frida
At the beginning of the movie, Frida confides in her friend Jess that achieving success serves as the most effective form of revenge.
So, her statement serves as a precursor to the movie’s ending: rather than resorting to violence against Slater for his sexual abuse, she employs the properties of his perfume to erase his memories. Thereby, it allows her to seize control of his billion-dollar company King-Tech and establish herself as a prosperous businesswoman Mrs King and CEO of his company, ultimately rendering him a powerless victim.
Then we hear the song play in the background, which has interesting lyrics.
Paid the cost
To be the boss...
I paid the cost
To be the boss...
Look at me
You know what you see...
Huh, told you so
Told you so...
Having fun
Got money to burn...
Therefore, at the end of the movie, Frida manages to turn the tables and take perfect revenge, as per her wishes on her tormentors and abusers.
The inspiration for the movie comes from real-life villains
Jeffrey Epstein
- While secretly checking the Polaroids of visitors to King’s Island, Frida notices a man who bears a striking resemblance to the infamous Jeffrey Epstein.
Jeffrey Epstein (born January 20, 1953, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.—died August 10, 2019, Manhattan) was an American serial sex trafficker, pedophile, and financier. It was said that Epstein used hidden cameras at his Manhattan residence to record sex acts performed by his wealthy associates, probably for blackmail purposes. He also kept a log of those who traveled on his private jet, which locals in the Virgin Islands referred to as the “Lolita Express” (in reference to Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita [1955], whose antihero is a middle-aged man who obsessively lusts after very young girls). (News Souce: Britannica)
Bill Cosby
- It also alludes to the accusations made against comedian Bill Cosby, who has been alleged to have exploited his fame to drug and sexually assault numerous women.
Peter Nygard
- Also, there are notable similarities between Vic (Christian Slater) and the former Canadian fashion tycoon Peter Nygard. A significant detail that aligns with Slater’s character is Nygard’s luxurious private estate in the Bahamas, where he allegedly organized extravagant parties featuring many young girls, and where several of the reported sexual assaults are said to have taken place.
- And we are sure that in case, if you take a closer look at this movie, then you might a few more infamous names of the abusers.
Featured Image – Naomi Ackie (Frida) & Adria Arjona (Sarah) – from left to right.
Poster and Featured Image of Blink Twice (2024/USA) Movie | Pictured Credited to the Amazon MGM Studios.