Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (November 4, 2024)
After years spent in front of the camera, 2024 brought the year during which Zoë Kravitz shifted jobs. Blink Twice becomes her directorial debut.
When Frida (Naomie Ackie) waits tables for a high society event, she meets Slater King (Channing Tatum), a tech billionaire attempting to rehabilitate his public image after a scandal. Slater charms Frida and invites her and her pal Jess (Alia Shawkat) to come to his private island for a period of fun in the sun.
Though this initially feels amazing, matters eventually turn perplexing, as weird occurrences and memory lapses start to amass. Frida needs to confront the reality of this seemingly idyllic situation before something terrible happens to her.
To some degree, Twice feels a little out of date, mainly because it firmly embraces the “MeToo” vibe of the 2010s. To say more would require spoilers, but the film’s events definitely reflect that tone.
Not that I intend to imply there’s an expiration date on stories about Men Behaving Badly, of course. Unfortunately, that topic remains timeless, even if the dominance of “MeToo” in its period can now make these tales seem part of that period.
In any case, Twice embraces its themes in a fairly engaging manner. While it doesn’t connect entirely, it does more right than wrong.
I think the main problem here stems from the semi-heavy-handed nature of its social commentary. Again, I don’t want to spill too many beans, but Twice features rich white men as the eventual villains.
Which sure seems accurate in our world too much of the time, I admit. Still, this seems like an easy choice and one that doesn’t require a lot of thought.
Even with some over the top messaging, Twice still turns into a largely effective thriller. While we can’t help but think Frida and Jess find themselves in a Too Good to Be True situation and we wait for the inevitable shoe to drop, Kravitz allows events to evolve in a manner that doesn’t overtly telegraph where the tale will go.
Some may find this pace a source of frustration. After all, audiences expect a thriller from Twice, so the fact those elements don’t arrive for a good chunk of time might feel off-putting.
On the other hand, I like the gradual evolution of the plot. Too many filmmakers feel that if they don’t toss overt drama at the viewers from the get-go, patrons will bail.
Kravitz shows patience and allows the story to progress at her discretion. I appreciate this, as it means she doesn’t pander to short attention spans.
Twice eventually delivers the violent goods. Again, no spoilers here, but the third act delivers a gory take that gleefully indulges revenge fantasies.
A good cast helps matters. Ackie grounds the tale, and Tatum’s performance balances the role’s dimensions to keep us unsure of his motivations.
Blink Twice falters enough to keep it from greatness. Nonetheless, it delivers a mostly effective thriller with social overtones.
