By Jacob Richardson
4 STARS
With some fantastic visuals and great twists, Blink Twice is a thrilling exploration of memory as weapon amidst the bored ultra-rich. The film follows disgraced billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), who invites waitresses Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat) to his private island for a group holiday full of debauchery. But things aren’t all that they seem, and when Jess goes missing, Frida teams up with some of her fellow guests to solve the mystery.
The movie is the directorial debut of Zoe Kravitz, who proves to be a very assured and talented hand. She navigates this film without ever letting it drag or linger. Naomi Ackie and Alia Shawkat are great, and Channing Tatum is wolfishly fun – both as the charming billionaire and the screaming psychotic apologist at the back end. But the standout is probably Adria Arjona, who does wonderful work particularly in a tense scene by the pool when the realisation of what’s happening starts to set in.
What really sets Blink Twice apart is the plot. The story unfurls in a way that feels truly surprising; you can’t really predict where it is going, and the eventual twist towards the very end is remarkably unexpected. It makes Blink Twice a really effective, engaging thriller; sort of a less scary, less socially resonant Get Out, but one that is probably a little bit more fun.
