Blink Twice

Channing Tatum is the ultimate dudebro villain in Zoë Kravitz's wildly entertaining albeit uneven directorial debut.

While watching “Blink Twice” you can’t help but see the many parallels between the movie’s concept and Jeffrey Epstein. Something that director Zoë Kravitz claims is completely coincidental, and that in fact, the story made its way to the public after she had already started writing the script.

It’s pretty easy to believe Kravitz because “Blink Twice” is largely a metaphor and a takedown of misogyny.

The new film follows Frida (Naomi Ackie), an extroverted and always chipper cocktail waitress, who ends up wooing the hard-partying, embattled billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) at his company’s extravagant gala. King, seemingly charmed by Frida, invites her and her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) to his private island for an extended period of time, to party with him and his friends.

Frida and Jess are quickly introduced to the island’s other women, the former reality star Sarah (Adria Arjona), shrill stoners Camilla (Liz Caribel) and Heather (Trew Mullen), and the older Sarah (Geena Davis), who seems to hold some power on the island.

Right from the jump, the island gives off a pretty strange vibe. Everyone is expected to turn in their phones right away, all the women, with the exception of Sarah, are all required to wear skimpy white bathing suits, King’s male friends are far too flirty for comfort, and everyone takes a suspiciously high amount of hallucinogenic drugs. There’s one other thing, Frida and Jess’ memories seem to be getting foggier and foggier by the day.

After Jess vanishes without much of a trace, Frida begins to become more aware of the mysterious day-to-day life on the island, and that King’s true intentions are far more sinister than she could have ever imagined.

Kravitz’s directorial debut shares a lot of similar DNA to films such as “Promising Young Woman” and “Get Out,” in terms of creating a satirical thriller that finds dark humor in such heavy subject matter. It’s a tone that is enormously difficult to pull off.

Kravitz has a clear vision of the way she wants to tell the story, as the audience is constantly thrust with quick and abrasive montages as the characters take drugs given to them by King. As the story progresses, the darker these montages become, even if the James Brown needle-drops say otherwise.

The execution can be uneven, particularly in the third act which lays out exactly what is going on. As previously mentioned, the entire movie is a metaphor, but the script, which Kravitz co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum, doesn’t have much of a bite. The movie addresses wealth and gender inequality, but it never says anything about them other than the fact that they exist.

Maybe that’s the kind of vibe Kravitz was going for with “Blink Twice,” especially since its late summer release suggests that this is more of a popcorn thriller versus a movie with themes that will leave you pondering long after leaving the theater. However, the movie does have its fair share of graphic and disturbing content unfolding onscreen.

While the script may be lacking, Kravitz’s direction is excellent. She finds ways to constantly keep us engaged throughout the thriller’s 100-minute runtime, whether it be through the use of the aforementioned montages, its distinct and dark sense of humor, and its lush cinematography from Adam Newport-Berra.

A few months back Steven Soderbergh told an interviewer about how Kravitz was always immensely interested in filmmaking while working on their film “Kimi.” Kravitz isn’t just another movie star trying to take a stab at directing. If anything, “Blink Twice,” proves that she has a real knack for being behind the camera. As she continues to make more movies, Kravitz is destined to be a force in the director’s chair.

Ackie shines as Frida, the young woman at the center of “Blink Twice.” She exudes excitement and wonder throughout the movie’s first act making it easy for us to not only root for her but also relate to her. Yes, she makes questionable decisions, including flying off to a billionaire’s island, but the film does a satisfying job of putting us into her headspace.

Ackie’s star has been on the verge for several years now after snagging big roles in high-profile projects such as “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” and while those movies didn’t deliver, her role in “Blink Twice” seems destined to finally put her on the map.

Tatum excels in his first villainous role, playing with the pretty-boy tropes that followed him throughout much of his career while also bringing his natural charisma, mixing it into a character that is as intimidating as he is watchable. Tatum usually plays likable guys in many of his movies, and while we initially want to believe that his character is only misunderstood, there is off about him from the very minute he comes on screen.

“Blink Twice” has its fair share of shortcomings, which is expected from a first-time filmmaker, but its strengths are undeniable. Kravitz has established herself as a fascinating director with an exciting future ahead of her. She’s on to even bigger things.