Blink Twice

Zoe Kravitz's debut is an effective social horror entry

The jump from acting to directing is a ubiquitous one, as performers seek to become the multi-hyphenates that the filmmaking industry lauds. However, the transition can prove tricky, and as purse strings get tighter with the industry’s financial woes, even good ideas and talented directors can get shut out. Thus, for the likes of Zoe Kravitz to break through with an original idea for her directing debut, is a truly impressive feat.

Blink Twice (2024) follows Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat), caterers who at a big event, disguise themselves as guests and get invited by charming tech billionaire Slater (Channing Tatum) to his private island with some of his friends (Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, and Haley Joel Osment among others). Once at the seeming paradise, however, things appear too good to be true.

Kravitz follows the recent trend of films that seek to comment on either wealth inequality (The Menu (2022), Triangle of Sadness (2022)) or female exploitation (Promising Young Woman (2020), Last Night in Soho (2021)). However, repeating commentary, doesn’t make Blink Twice derivative, if anything it helps viewers see these messages presented in another light within Kravitz’s original film.

Kravitz crafts her film as a mystery, mixing red herrings with clues that will have eagle-eyed viewers frantically trying to piece them together. Some inventive framing, layered performances, and curious uses of focus help craft an aura of unease despite seeing characters enjoying a paradisical vacation. In this build up, however, Kravitz lingers too long, sagging first act with redundance. There is an intention in disorienting viewers with routine images and sequences, but it leaves audiences impatient as the momentum grinds to a halt.

The revelation of the central mystery arrives abruptly in the second act and switches the tone of the film from then on. Blink Twice’s unease and tension slightly unravel as social commentary is presented instead. Delivering a balance between commentary and horror would have been a near-impossible task for many director, let alone a first-timer.

Kravitz gathers a talented cast to help launch her filmmaking career. Ackie is spectacular in the lead role, helping transfer suspicion, aloofness, and fear with a slight flicker of her large eyes. Kravitz’s romantic partner Tatum is also a standout, as the charming yet slightly unnerving tech billionaire, one scene towards the conclusion of the film where the American actor repeats a same phrase over and over in a single take is particularly stirring, showcasing acting chops that have often been relegated to mainstream comedies and romances. It was also heartwarming to see Geena Davis onscreen again in the small role of housekeeper, this is only Davis’ third film role in the last seven years.

In the end, Kravitz delivers an enjoyable new entry in the social horror genre, converging various themes and issues in a composition that largely works. Blink Twice meanders during its first act, and fails to gel its social commentary with its horror in its third act, but great performances and effective technical cinematic elements make this film a true banger of a directing debut.

7.1/10