“Blink Twice” (2024)
This might make me a femcel in the eyes of some, but I really did love the ride “Blink Twice” took me on.
The original title of “Blink Twice” was “Pussy Island,” and that kind of told me everything I needed to know when I first heard about it via co-writer/director Zoë Kravitz’s Instagram a while back.
The film follows waitresses/roommates Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat) as they are whisked away to a private island owned by tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), with his crew of dudebros (played by Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Haley Joel Osment and Levon Hawke) and three other ladies (Adria Arjona, Liz Caribel and Trew Mullen) also along for the ride.
I will say nothing in this movie hugely surprised me, but the twists in the ride it takes to get to key plot points felt fresh and engaging. The performances by Ackie, Tatum and Arjona in particular made me appreciate this ride.
Kyle MacLachlan and Geena Davis also do some great work in their smaller but memorable roles as members of Slater’s inner circle.
“Blink Twice” is decidedly darker, but overall, it reminded me of the “Knives Out” series and the strong leading women who carry those films, Ana de Armas and Janelle Monae, as the mystery of what’s happening plays out.
I was very strongly rooting for the protagonists in “Knives Out,” “Glass Onion” and “Blink Twice.” In my quiet press screening on a Monday afternoon (filled with mostly men), I had to restrain myself from cheering for the women of “Blink Twice.” I think this movie would be a lot of fun to watch in a crowded theater or at home with friends.
While I didn’t love the ending, I am otherwise full of admiration for Kravitz’s feature debut and look forward to what’s to come from her behind the camera or in front of it.