Blink Twice Movie Review (2024)
A striking thriller about a woman and her friend who are whisked away to a private island by a wealthy tech mogul and his friends, Blink Twice is hair-raising and mysterious.
The older I get, the braver I am trying to be. I still have no interest in creepy movies or anything with jump scares, but my son has begun to be my “scary movie” advisor. If a preview looks creepy, but my son says that the movie really isn’t, I’ll take the chance. That is exactly what happened with this film – and it looked really good – so I held my breath and pressed play.
Blink Twice is about Frida, a waitress who lives with her best friend Jess and dreams of doing and being more. When she and Jess dress up and make their way into a fancy party to try to meet the handsome tech billionaire Slater King, she stumbles into him, they hit it off, and he invites the two women to stay at his private island with his friends. Partying, relaxing, and experiencing unbelievable wealth and pampering every day, Frida and Jess enjoy themselves until things begin to feel off.
Written, directed, and co-produced by Zoë Kravitz (who also has a blink-and-you-miss-it role as a stewardess), this is a really impressive directorial debut. It is conceptually intriguing, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the use of color is spectacular. While you have some colorful dresses at the party, once you get to the island, you have bright white clothing and sets everywhere with pops of red (raspberries, gift bags, a chair, blood). There are gorgeously shot closeups and glamorously framed darker scenes. It all makes for a striking tableau, like visiting a museum and admiring the art against a white backdrop.
Starring Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum as Frida and Slater, and with a supporting cast including Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, Geena Davis, and Alia Shawkat, the ensemble is exceptional and the acting is excellent.
Then there is the story. I would call this a psychological thriller that includes disturbing and bloody scenes towards the climax. But the film is told in such a way that you begin to unravel the mysterious story along with Frida, so you see what she sees – and some of it is extremely unpleasant. Blink Twice is unique in the way that it is able to unwind the confusion, and although it could be triggering, it is also exceptionally impressive.
This movie is essentially an allegory around the stereotypical position of men in society and younger women trying to get a leg up. Older women are used to it and have accepted that the men will always be in a higher position, and others just ignore what they see happening around them because it is normal. It is the way society has always been, so why would anyone look to change anything? Once you begin to dissect the film, the brilliance of the metaphors are notable.
Blink Twice is a fantastic adventure that is both wonderful to look at and food for your brain. It is unlike most other films, which makes it both special and fun to experience. Just like my son told me, this is not a scary movie in the way that you’d typically think of the genre. And the experience itself is definitely one worth having, so definitely give it a go.
Runtime: 106 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Available: Free for Amazon Prime members, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
