Blink Twice (2024)

Release Date: August 23, 2024

Director: Zoë Kravitz

Starring: Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Christian Slater, Adria Arjona

I went into Blink Twice with no expectations. In fact, I often find that’s the best way to watch a movie for the first time—completely open-minded, letting the film reveal itself without any preconceived ideas. And while that approach might sound ideal in theory, it didn’t stop my brain from shouting, “Wait, haven’t I seen this somewhere before?” as the plot unfolded.

Blink Twice has been hyped as an edgy psychological thriller, and while I tried to embrace it, open arms and all, by the end, I was left wondering whether the film succeeded in offering anything fresh or if it had simply pieced together elements from better movies. It feels like one of those films crafted for post-movie discussions on Reddit—like it was made with the goal of creating online discourse rather than truly delving into its subject matter. But more on that later.

The Setup: Hollywood Meets Island Nightmare

The movie stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail waitress who’s invited to a private island by tech-billionaire Slater King, played by the ever-charismatic Channing Tatum. Right off the bat, I was intrigued. A tropical paradise with a billionaire who seemingly has everything? Sure, I thought, why not? After all, it’s a setting that promises to peel back some shiny layers and expose the ugly truth underneath—except it didn’t quite work out that way.

At first, everything looks like a dream: luxury yachts, endless parties, gourmet meals, and non-stop indulgence. Frida and a group of other women, who have also been swept into this world, enjoy the finer things in life without a care. Among them is Sarah (Adria Arjona), another guest on Slater's island. The two women are more grounded than their party-hungry counterparts, and while they’re trying to enjoy their good fortune, it doesn’t take long before the cracks start showing.

There’s something off, and Blink Twice does a good job of building up the paranoia and unease. It’s subtle at first—missed memories, strange feelings, and hazy moments that can’t quite be explained. Slowly but surely, Frida begins to suspect that things aren’t quite as hunky-dory as they seem. You’d think hanging out with a billionaire would have no downside, right? Wrong.

The Parallels: When Thrills Start to Feel Familiar

As Blink Twice progressed, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d seen this before. There are echoes of Don’t Worry Darling with its glossy exterior hiding sinister truths about misogyny, and Glass Onion, where the bad guy is—you guessed it—a tech billionaire manipulating people for his own gain. It’s all there: the mind games, the psychological manipulation, and the realization that these women are being used in ways that go far beyond partying and yacht-hopping.

And yes, there’s a definite Get Out vibe in there too. The idea of taking modern-day social issues—whether it’s gender dynamics, class, or power imbalances—and turning them into a horror movie is what Get Out did so brilliantly. In Blink Twice, however, these themes feel more like checkboxes being ticked off rather than ideas being fully explored. Don’t get me wrong—the setup works. The mystery keeps you engaged, but it all starts to feel derivative once you notice how much ground the film is covering that’s been tread before.

The Performances: A Strong Cast, but No Real Depth

I will give credit where it’s due: the cast is excellent. Naomi Ackie and Adria Arjona carry the movie on their shoulders, delivering solid performances that help ground the film, even when the script veers into cliché territory. Frida’s growing anxiety and confusion are palpable, and Ackie manages to make her descent into paranoia believable. Her chemistry with Arjona works, and the two lead actresses are the saving grace of this film.

Channing Tatum’s Slater King is a fascinating character at first—mysterious, charming, and always seeming one step ahead of everyone else. But as the film progresses, his character feels more and more like a cookie-cutter villain. There’s potential for Tatum to show more depth, but instead, the script leaves him with a stereotypical role that doesn’t allow for much complexity. In the end, Slater King is just another creepy rich guy with a god complex, which, while effective, isn’t anything new.

The Dark Twist: When the Island Reveals Its Secrets

The big twist in Blink Twice comes when Frida and Sarah discover that their memories have been manipulated. It turns out that Slater and his friends aren’t just throwing wild parties—they’re drugging the women and using them as unwilling participants in a twisted social experiment. The film suggests that these women have been living in a false reality, manipulated into believing they’re in paradise when, in fact, they’re prisoners.

Once the truth comes to light, the pace picks up dramatically. The women begin to fight back, piecing together the truth and attempting to escape from Slater’s island of horrors. The reveal is unsettling, and the movie does a great job of making the viewer feel the claustrophobia of their situation. However, despite the increased tension, the twists didn’t land as hard as I hoped they would. Maybe it’s because I’d seen it coming, or maybe it’s because by this point, the film had borrowed so many elements from other movies that it couldn’t surprise me anymore.

The Ending: A Satisfying Conclusion or Just Another Twist?

Without giving too much away, the film wraps up with yet another twist—a final gut-punch that’s meant to leave the audience reeling. But by this point, I wasn’t sure if I cared anymore. The shock factor felt more like a gimmick than a well-earned payoff. I didn’t leave the theater feeling shaken or even impressed, but rather, underwhelmed. Blink Twiceends with more of a whimper than a bang, and while the story attempts to make a bold statement about power and control, it never quite lands.

Final Thoughts: A Familiar Thriller with Few Surprises

So, where does that leave us? Blink Twice is a decent thriller. It’s got great performances, a tense atmosphere, and an engaging premise. But in a genre where originality is key, it falls short. There are too many familiar beats and not enough innovation. The film takes on themes like manipulation, misogyny, and power with the intention of delivering a hard-hitting message, but instead, it ends up feeling like an echo of better films.

In the end, my biggest issue with Blink Twice is that it feels like it’s trying too hard to be shocking. Rather than delivering a nuanced exploration of its themes, it resorts to over-the-top twists that, while entertaining, don’t leave a lasting impact. There’s a lot of potential here, but Blink Twice doesn’t quite manage to live up to it.

My final rating? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (7/10)