BLINK TWICE – Kravitz Crafts Clever Horror/Thriller
When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends for a dream vacation on his private island. Wild nights soon blend into sun-soaked days, but when strange things start to happen, Frida must uncover the truth if she hopes to make it out alive.
There is a lot to love about Blink Twice! Director Zöe Kravitz crafts a clever film with scrupulous setups and satisfying pay offs. The entire first half is one heck of a good time, making us feel the fun our island vacationers are experiencing. We feel the magic of the place, the free spiritedness, and it was easy for me to place myself in these character’s shoes. I would undoubtedly be doing the same things they’d be doing. However, the dream paradise with tsunamis of champagne, fine dining, and luxurious living devolves into a twisted nightmare of survival. I dare not speak any further on the matter as it would spoil the last half of the movie but know that I didn’t see the big reveal coming.
Naomi Ackie plays a down-to-earth final girl who makes smart decisions and joins the modern ranks of other amazing horror icons. Channing Tatum plays off cool and hot and mysterious with ease and we definitely see a darker side to him that I hope to see more of in coming years. The rest of the cast deliver strong performances, hilarious character antics, and, of course, horror fueled debauchery.
Blink Twice has many strong messages that will speak strongly to female audiences. With themes of embracing (and forgetting) trauma, smiling in the faces of abusive partners, and uniting together as sisters in the face of adversity. Everything these ladies go through was so relatable. At moments where, in a typical horror film, our characters would hold a beat for dramatic effect, they just react as any human being would. I dug the heck out of its tongue-in-cheek nature.
Zöe Kravitz swung for the fences with her directorial debut and hit a home run delivering a clever, fun, disturbing, violent, twisted thriller that flawlessly blends horror and comedy. The design of its plot is smart and witty and its blood soaked finale will leave you applauding with glee! Blink Twice comes highly recommended which is why I give this film…
5 Snakes out of 5
Blink Twice is now playing in theaters and is Rated R for strong violent content, sexual assault, drug use and language throughout, and some sexual references.