“Eat the rich” has become a popular genre of late. Ready or Not (2019), Glass Onion (2022), Dumb Money (2023), and many more titles look to call out the uber wealthy for their often unethical and downright atrocious behaviour. In her directorial debut, actor Zoe Kravitz explores the concept in a darkly comedic thriller. Does it say anything unique or new? No. Is it an entertaining thrill ride? Absolutely.
Blink Twice follows Frida (Naomi Ackie), a cocktail waitress who works and lives with her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat). Time is spent building up their endearing relationship as they laugh their way through a humble working life, and sisterhood is evidently something Kravitz was keen to express throughout the film. Tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), after publicly apologising for inappropriate behaviour, hosts a fundraising gala where Frida and Jess work.
The girls cross paths with King, and end up hanging out with him and his entourage; acting as a fun way to introduce the eclectic group. The gang of wealthy stars and business people head to King's remote private island, and bring Frida and Jess in tow. It's a sun-soaked paradise complete with food, booze, and drug-induced shenanigans, but reality starts to blur and things aren't all as they seem.
Kravitz makes it clear from the start — with a comedic observation of how we interact online, and King's hilarious but all-too-real “apology” interview — that there is something amiss, with clear satirical takes on these wealthy characters and their island retreat. And it's clear that Kravitz is an astute film student: utilising striking camera movement and framing, slick editing, and other production elements to tell her story in a hugely entertaining but narratively-compelling manner.
Blink Twice's sound design in particular is worthy of praise. In the fundraising gala, after Frida meets King, it's only several minutes in until you realise that all the background noise of chatter and drinks has been eliminated; all that matters to Frida is getting in King's good books. As things get weirder on the island, key voices and sounds are isolated for both comedic and horrific effect.
Thanks to a game cast, as well as the playful work done by the crew, this is a film that delivers laughs and thrills in equal measure. Ackie, Tatum, and Adria Arjona (playing a steely survival show star) effortlessly show off their comedic and dramatic chops, but the rest of the stacked cast have their worthy moments in the spotlight too. One of the biggest surprises is the emphasis on womanhood; as the relationship between the women on the island become a key aspect of the narrative in moving and fulfilling ways.
It isn't quite a home run for Kravitz, however. Whilst fun, the first half can drag in places as the tone and themes are so well established from the very beginning that we're well aware of the typical direction the story will head in. And the very ending will surely prove divisive, as it's short-sightedness robs the conclusion of being genuinely evocative. But the second half is an absolute blast, full of shocking reveals and devilishly delightful payoffs.
Kravitz is a great actor, and it turns out she's a director full of promise. Blink Twice is a hugely entertaining thriller that uses every filmmaking tool to make this as a winning directorial debut.
Blink Twice releases in cinemas on 23rd August.
