Dog’s Movie House: “Blink Twice” A Terrific Debut From Zoe Kravitz!

“Blink Twice” features Naomi Ackie as Frida, a food service caterer who has a chance encounter with tech billonaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) and one of his charity events. Frida and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) charm their way into the party and Frida seems to make a connection with the mysterious billionaire. Slater then invites the two to his private island to relax and enjoy the hedonistic lifestyle of the obscenely rich. Frida and Jess party like there’s no tomorrow, hobnobbing with Slater’s inner circle as well as their girlfriends. Things take a sinister turn when Jess goes missing and Frida realizes she’s loosing herself in the perpetual party, forgetting events and wondering what the hell happened during those time lapses. The answer is more sinister than you think and soon Frida is fighting for both her physical and emotional freedom as well as those of the other ladies at the island.

“Blink Twice” is a film that rewards your patience. For the first half of the film you are basically poolside at one big party that never seems to end. It feels repetitive but I think that’s Kravitz’s point: the endless cycle of drugs, alchohol and partying is ment to feel uncomfortable and it adds to the overall atmosphere that pays off in the films second and third acts. When “Blink Twice” goes dark, it goes DARK and the dreamy atmosphere is quickly exchanged for a living nightmare. It’s up to these women who are playthings of these men of privelege to take back their power and take matters into their own hands. If there was ever a horror film where the ladies in the audience are going to be tempted to stand up and cheer, “Blink Twice” is that movie!

Kravitz is helped by a game cast led by Ackie as Frida, an ambitious woman whose dream hookup with the famous Slater King turns into something else entirely. Kravitz shoots the film in a series of intimate and somewhat unsettling closeups and Ackie’s highly expressive face is put to good use here. There’s a scene late in the film in which Frida is supposed to act happy even though she’s anything but, and the play of several emotions on her face in the space of a few seconds in remarkable. She’s matched by Tatum who uses his model good looks to deliver a fantastic bait and switch performance. Slater’s arc is interesting because of the narrative hints at unresolved trauma of his own. He was raised in a hostile environment and the cycle continues to perpetuate itself with him and all of his privelege. A whose who of character actors populate the roles of his inner circe. Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Haley Joel Osment, and even Geena Davis are on hand to do fantastic work. Davis in particular is amusing as Slater’s overprotective girl Friday. I never realized how much I miss her on screen until I saw this movie.

The tonal switch about two-thirds of the way into the movie might be a bit much for some viewers, but those with an adventurous mindset will find a lot to enjoy in “Blink Twice.” From the performances to the overall story to the surprising finale, “Blink Twice” serves as an auspicious debut for Zoe Kravitz. A wonderful film! 4 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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