I really wanted to like Blink Twice. Unlike most horror films this summer, it didn’t fall for the Trap of giving away the whole story in the trailer. With Zoë Kravitz at the helm in her directorial debut, I was psyched for a new twist on final girl horror. And Blink Twice almost did it! Almost. But for a few reasons, the film falls just a bit short.
In Blink Twice, we meet Frida and Jess, two young roommates trying to get by with a catering job serving the rich. On one special night, the girls play dress up and crash a party hosted by recently-canceled tech mogul Slater, played by the charming Channing Tatum. As the night wraps, the girls are invited to the rich man’s island for a few days of rest and relaxation. They soon find themselves amidst a gaggle of girls wearing matching white bikinis, eating delicious gourmet food, sipping champagne, and even dabbling in some party drugs. But as the days slip by, they start to feel like something is off. The deeper they dig, the more they uncover, the more they might wish they’d forget, and the more quickly they find themselves in a fight for survival.
For her first film as director, Kravitz breaks some barriers and cracks a few ceilings in the process. From the trauma trigger warning at the very start of the film, we learn that it plans to confront head-on the ugliest realities of men drunk with power. The feminist themes range widely, with the women on the island coming from all backgrounds – from tech geniuses to frazzled assistants to celeb hotties, no one type of woman is spared. And while the film dances between scenes of horror and well-timed humor, its overall themes of power and privilege are ultimately a bit too heavy handed, the twists a bit too unoriginal, and the underlying messages a bit too expected.
The acting overall is also . . . just fine, especially for a horror film. With old school pros like Geena Davis and rising stars like Adria Arjona, there are some delicate moments of character development and subtle glances of recognition as the horror sets in. But these moments are overshadowed by largely heavy-handed lead performances by Tatum and Naomi Ackie, whose exaggerated reactions too often pull the audience out of the story.
The world Kravitz develops is quite convincing, and it’s clear she’s pulling from a lot of personal experience growing up in a world of fame and celebrity, as she builds up and tears down this island of promises, gluttony, and overindulgence. And while that message is received quite thoroughly in the first third of the film, a good 15 to 30 minutes of this world-crafting could have been left on the cutting room floor for a much more efficient and effective film.
Overall, I will admit that Blink Twice is different, and I give my kudos to Kravitz and her team for stepping out into a new type of feminist horror. Especially for a directorial debut, that takes guts, and aside from slightly missing the mark, the film is not a total flop.
SpecialK Verdict: With a lot of adventurous horror flicks stepping outside the box this summer, there are many others I’d recommend before Blink Twice, but it’s not a total miss, and wouldn’t be your worst bet – just keep your expectations measured.
Blink Twice opens in theaters on August 23.
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