Original article written by: Jonathan Klotz | Published on 16 seconds ago
Most first-time directors don’t start with a blockbuster film that doubles its budget and becomes a smash hit on streaming platforms. However, Zoe Kravitz is not a director like the others. She wrote and directed the thriller Blink Twicewhich hit theaters last year and visibly surprised audiences by transforming Channing Tatum into an antagonistic character. The hunk’s usual adorable personality gave way to a sinister role as a tech mogul with questionable intentions.
Billionaires’ private islands never end well
The movie Blink Twice follows Frida (played by Naomi Ackie, star of the upcoming film Mickey 17), a waitress invited to spend a weekend on the private island of billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), a man who is certainly attractive and charming, but whose facade is much more negative than it seems. Along with Slater are his friends, including Tom (Haley Joel Osment), Cody (Simon Rex), and Stan (Christian Slater), as well as a few women, including Frida’s best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat from Final Girls), and Sarah, a reality TV star (Adria Arjona from Good Omens). Ten years after the start of the festivities on the island, the situation quickly changed.
One morning, Frida realizes that Jess has disappeared and that no one on the island seems to remember her presence. Although the film relies on classic tropes of the horror genre, its exotic setting manages to lull the viewer into a state of serenity before drama erupts. Blink Twice takes its time to unveil the plot, but once the story enters its final act, the tension reaches a fever pitch.
A future cult classic
In interviews, Zoe Kravitz explained that she began working on the first draft of the film in 2017, a project that she has had in her heart for a long time. Blink Twice is a reflection of his vision, and although there are some awkwardnesses in his story, the film sometimes seems to hold back. The characters, despite their originality, never seem fully developed and can be summarized in a few words, a phenomenon whose quality will depend on the spectators’ taste in horror cinema.
-Kravitz manages to achieve what many horror directors attempt: capture the anxieties of our time and translate them into horror stories that transform those fears into something tangible. Blink Twice excels at this by playing with different levels of concerns that affect society today, laying the foundation for a future cult classic. To date, the film, which managed to double its production budget of $20 million in theaters, is receiving positive reviews from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, posting 75% and 71% respectively. favorable reviews.
Blink Twice won’t win traction for its creativity, and might be too steeped in contemporary societal trends to remain relevant in the long term, but there are plenty of horror films released every year that are far less compelling. Zoe Kravitz has proven her talent as a director, and we hope that she will embark on a new project soon. For Channing Tatum, he was able to assert his acting ability by taking on very diverse roles, which could once again surprise the public.
Blink Twice is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Good to know
- Movie release: Blink Twice was released in theaters last year and was quickly made available for streaming.
- Critical reception: The film was well received on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating both critical and popular reception.
- Context : Zoe Kravitz began designing this film in 2017, as an important personal project for her.
The way Blink Twice deals with contemporary anxieties through the prism of horror raises fascinating questions. What other societal themes could be explored in the horror films of tomorrow, and how will reality influence the cinematic narrative?
