Zoë Kravitz’s Clever Psychological Thriller Is An Unforgettable Movie Experience

Every once in a while, a directorial feature debut comes along and thoroughly impresses me. Blink Twice, Zoë Kravitz’s first directorial feature — which she co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum — doesn’t just captivate, it demands attention. And from start to finish it held it; not an easy feat. The psychological thriller is clever, sharp, and intoxicating, even in its eeriest moments. There’s a charm and depravity that are all too real, hanging over every scene as it makes us wait with bated breath for the big reveal that comes in glimpses and acts as stark contrasts to the characters’ initial excitement.

To be sure, the events of the film are not something Frida (Naomi Ackie) was expecting. A cocktail waitress with an infatuation with disgraced tech mogul Slater King (Channing Tatum), who apologizes for past transgressions and steps down as CEO of his company, Frida and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) are thrilled when they’re invited to Slater’s private island. While we know there’s something that’s just not right about this offer, the endless pop of champagne, the sensual spraying of perfume, and the endless fun the characters seem to be having instantly draw us into this tantalizing, yet harrowing world.

Zoë Kravitz’s Directorial Debut Is Striking

For a first-time feature filmmaker, Kravitz has a sharp and clear creative vision, and is able to execute it with immense precision. Slater’s private island is warm and inviting, bright without being unnaturally so. The costumes, largely made up of white dresses for the women and white shirts for the men, are impeccable while simultaneously tipping us off that something is wrong with the entire scenario. Kravitz’s close-ups on Ackie are especially moving and occasionally haunting. They allow us to witness her emotional state, but don’t give away everything before its time.

It’s always just enough to make me feel unsettled without over-explaining anything that’s going on. Through such excellent camera work, Blink Twice excels at warping the mind, tricking us into a false sense of happiness even as it raises gooseflesh. The editing by Kathryn J. Schubert is especially fantastic, and her quick cuts to convey the repetitiveness of the characters’ daily activities makes it feel like we’re being thrown in the middle of some disturbing time loop. The truth is far more disturbing, and Blink Twice is good at keeping us on our toes with a stunning buildup.

The film is also a reminder of how a well-written and nicely paced story can be executed in only an hour and 42 minutes. Kravitz doesn’t linger longer than necessary, and the largely single-location setting never grows tired because there’s always something new for Frida to discover. Beyond the aesthetics and technical elements, Blink Twice has deeply explored themes — including trauma — that’ll reverberate. The experiences the women have in the film are evocative, and Kravitz has a message that hits close to home in its realness and intention; the nuances are embedded so that a second watch would prove beneficial.

Naomi Ackie Delivers A Stunning Performance In Blink Twice

Channing Tatum is effective as a mysterious tech mogul

Blink Twice has everything going for it, but it’s bolstered further by an emotionally effective and layered performance by Ackie, who grounds the film as the waves of the story move around and through her. She is a force to be reckoned with, bringing levels of pain, confusion, excitement and determination that make us fear for her life and root for her at the same time. Ackie is perfect as Frida, giving an awards-worthy performance. In her character exists a sharp reality that this could happen to any woman, making her situation all the more harrowing.

Tatum employs his charisma as Slater, and he’s able to pull off a momentarily sympathetic performance before that transforms into something more sinister. His character is the kind of man we’ve seen before — in the media and in real life — and Tatum mines Slater’s trauma and uses it as a cover. The actor isn’t over-the-top in his portrayal, and that’s part of the reason it’s so effective.

Shawkat’s Jess is the sensible one, but even she’s dragged into the cloud of bliss that’s presented to her and Frida. And the investment in the characters is so good that when things take a turn, we care about what happens to her. Shawkat has always been a reliable actor, and it’s no different here. She imbues Jess with a suspicion she’s willing to discard to appease her friend. Unsurprisingly, Adria Arjona (of Netflix’s Hit Man) is a scene-stealer as Sarah, a seemingly snobby reality TV star who’s initially jealous of the attention Slater gives Frida.

The rest of the supporting cast — including Haley Joel Osment, Christian Slater, and Geena Davis, in a role that is both shocking and not — is superb. Their roles are more subtle, but they’re no less memorable in the grand scheme of the film’s story. All told, Kravitz’s Blink Twice is a film I was intrigued by from the start, but was unconvinced it would be so thoroughly engaging and smart as it was. It makes me excited for whatever Kravitz does next, as she’s proven herself an impeccable director and storyteller with depth and a sharp eye for detail.

Blink Twice is in theaters Friday, August 23. The film is 102 minutes long and is rated R for strong violent content, sexual assault, drug use and language throughout, and some sexual references.

4.5

Directed by Zoë Kravitz, Blink Twice is a drama thriller film, marking her first foray into the world of directing. The film follows a cocktail waitress invited to a tech billionaire’s private resort home to party with them – but after arriving, she begins to discover the dark truth behind the island.

Pros

• Zoë Kravitz’s eye for detail is fantastic
• The film’s storytelling is deep and it has a good message
• Naomi Ackie is excellent in the lead role, and Channing Tatum is wonderfully sinister
• Blink Twice’s psychological thriller elements are exciting