Blink Twice opens in theaters August 23 “Are you having a good time?” So asks the tagline for Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice. If the “you” in question is the director, then the answer is yes: This was clearly a blast for Kravitz, who injects the island mystery/morality play centered on gig-economy worker Frida (Naomi Ackie) and tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) with lush visuals and complex sound design. For the audience (and her characters), it’s more muddled.
Despite its slick presentation, Blink Twice struggles with a superficial approach to significant themes and topics that never get the attention they deserve within this vibes-over-substance thriller. Co-writers Kravitz and E.T.
Feigenbaum originally called their movie Pussy Island. The swap to the more poster-friendly Blink Twice doesn’t just create a stronger sense of intrigue – it’s indicative of a film that wants to be more provocative than it really is. It has controversial films like the Trump-era “The Most Dangerous Game” riff The Hunt or the rape-revenge shocker I Spit on Your Grave in its DNA, yet Kravitz and Feigenbaum’s script is nowhere near audacious enough to make that kind of impression.
It hovers its fingers over the contemporary hot buttons of the income gap and gender inequality, but never presses hard enough. Kravitz comes out strong with an absorbing first act that has the restless Frida revealing her quiet obsession with King as she endlessly scrol.