Zoë Kravitz, known for her diverse range of performances and her undeniable presence both on and off the screen, steps into the director’s chair for the first time with Blink Twice (2024), a psychological thriller that blends elements of mystery, horror, and dark satire. The film has certainly garnered attention for its ambitious premise and Kravitz’s visual flair, but does it hold up under scrutiny? While the film has moments of brilliance, it is not without its flaws, making for an intriguing yet uneven cinematic experience.

The premise is simple yet seductive. Frida (Naomi Ackie), a waitress with a past she can’t fully recall, embarks on a luxe, all-expenses-paid vacation to an island paradise after receiving an unexpected invitation from Slater King (Channing Tatum), a tech mogul with a mysterious reputation. Along for the ride is Frida’s best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat), who also becomes entwined in the increasingly strange events that unfold.

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The premise is simple yet seductive

It’s clear from the first frame that Kravitz has an eye for visual storytelling. The film is bathed in a striking color palette, with the lush island setting playing a central role in creating an atmosphere of isolation and dread. From the shimmering waters to the sleek, minimalist design of the villas, every visual element feels carefully curated to support the narrative. The cinematography uses the natural beauty of the island to evoke a sense of danger lurking beneath the surface. The camera lingers on the details—the crumbling edges of the luxurious estate, the stifling heat of the oppressive sun—which only intensify the growing sense of unease.

While the narrative struggles, the film’s performances provide the emotional core. Naomi Ackie, as Frida, brings both fragility and strength to her character. She conveys the psychological distress that Frida experiences with subtlety, capturing the vulnerability of someone whose grasp on reality is slipping. Ackie’s portrayal is a delicate balancing act, and she makes the most of the material she’s given, despite the film’s narrative shortcomings.

Channing Tatum, as the charming yet sinister Slater King, delivers a performance that ranges from magnetic to unsettling. Tatum’s natural charisma makes Slater a compelling character to watch, but as his true nature emerges, Tatum effectively reveals a darker, more manipulative side to the billionaire tech mogul. His performance is one of the film’s standout moments, giving Slater a complexity that helps anchor the film’s more outlandish moments.

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Tatum’s performance is one of the film’s standout moments

Alia Shawkat, though solid in her role as Jess, doesn’t have the same depth of material to work with. Jess’s character feels underdeveloped, and the film doesn’t offer enough insight into her motivations or backstory. As a result, her role remains secondary to Frida’s journey, and her narrative arc doesn’t resonate as strongly as it might have with a bit more exploration.

What’s perhaps most frustrating about Blink Twice is its overambitious narrative structure, which promises a slow-burn psychological thriller but ultimately gives way to a fractured, uneven storytelling experience. The film leans heavily into its central mystery, but without a solid foundation or emotional anchor, it’s hard to stay invested in the narrative’s twists and turns. Frida’s memory lapses are presented as the heart of the plot, but rather than being a compelling tool for building tension, they often feel like a plot device designed to keep the audience in the dark. The question of whether Frida can trust her memories is meant to create suspense, but because the film never allows her—and by extension, the viewer—to fully understand her backstory, it’s difficult to feel the emotional weight of her confusion.

There’s also a sense that Kravitz is trying to explore too many genres at once. On the one hand, Blink Twice is a psychological thriller, designed to keep you on edge with its twists and psychological drama. On the other, it occasionally dips into dark comedy and social satire, poking fun at the excesses of the ultra-wealthy and the idea of tech billionaires as modern-day gods. These tonal shifts, while ambitious, weaken the film’s overall cohesion, leaving you wondering what the film truly wants to be. Should we take it seriously as a psychological exploration of trauma, or is it a critique of the elite? The film never quite decides, and as a result, it misses the opportunity to fully engage with either.

The fragmented narrative also fails to deliver satisfying resolutions to its most intriguing questions. What is the true nature of Slater’s wealth and power? How much of Frida’s trauma is rooted in her past, and how much is a product of her environment on the island? The film offers a few breadcrumbs but leaves so much unexplained that by the end, it feels less like a carefully constructed mystery and more like an exercise in ambiguity for the sake of ambiguity.

At the end of the day, Blink Twice is a bold but flawed directorial debut from Zoë Kravitz. The film’s visual design is top-notch, and the performances are strong across the board, but the narrative lacks the depth and clarity required to make the thriller both engaging and emotionally resonant. Kravitz sets up a world full of potential—a psychological puzzle wrapped in a glossy, luxurious package—but she struggles to follow through on the emotional and thematic promises she makes early on.

Verdict

Ultimately, Blink Twice leaves more questions than answers, not because it’s cleverly withholding information, but because it doesn’t quite know how to tie its ideas together into a satisfying whole. Kravitz has proven she can craft an engaging visual experience, but her storytelling still feels in need of refinement. If she hones her narrative approach in future projects, she could very well become a director whose work is worth watching—Blink Twice, for all its ambition, is just the first step toward that potential.

3/5

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