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Source: Courtesy / Amazon MGM Studios
Please read at your own discretion, or after seeing the film in theaters.
The old saying goes that a couple who prays together, stays together. However, after witnessing the impeccable teamwork displayed by way of Hollywood dynamic duo Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz in the latter’s directorial debut film, Blink Twice, there might also be something worth saying about a couple who makes movies together.
The suspense thriller, which arrived exclusively in theaters on August 23, finds a balance between heart-racing chills and comedic undertones all the while keeping you literally on the edge of your seat.
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With Blink Twice, seasoned actress Kravitz opted to stay behind the scenes in the director’s chair. In her place as the female lead is Naomi Ackie (I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) in a performance that definitely deserves a round of applause.
As Frida, a for-hire event hostess and nail tech — the latter profession plays a significant part in the film’s climax — her world is changed for what appears to be the better when she has a chance in-person meeting with tech billionaire Slater King (Tatum). Their initial meeting appears to be the stuff of dreams, what some might call a “meet-cute” even, that commences with him inviting her on an impromptu weekend getaway to an island he recently purchased. However, before Blink Twice reaches its midpoint, it becomes quite clear that she’s in for a trip that can only be summed up as traumatic.
Ackie’s onscreen performance is a vision from all aspects: her facial expressions move the plot when words are too terrifying to muster and the rage she displays post-climax is both heartbreaking and triumphant. In short, she becomes a pillar for female empowerment in the face of nefarious hypermasculinity.
Source: Courtesy / Amazon MGM Studios
Frida isn’t in this battle of the sexes alone though. At first glance, you’ll swear Kravitz actually is in the film by way of her celebrity doppelgänger, Adria Arjona, who plays the equally vengeful Sarah. Their journey of survival together proves to be a tale of sisterhood, which is rounded out by fiery Dominican diva Camilla (Liz Caribel), blonde bombshell Heather (Trew Mullen) and Frida’s ill-fated bestie Jess (Alia Shawkat).
Each lady finds a way to display a relatable female archetype that makes you really want them to win, especially when it’s revealed why they’re on Slater’s island in the first place. That’s where the male cast comes in.
Joining Slater and the ladies are Vic (ironically played by the ‘Slater’ many know and love in real life, Christian Slater), meathead Cody (Simon Rex), incel Tom (Haley Joel Osment), the clueless and possibly queer Lucas (Levon Hawke) and surprising ringleader Rich (Kyle MacLachlan). Without revealing too many details that could spoil a very worthy ‘ah-ha’ moment, the fellas use a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” approach to gain trust from the women before it’s made crystal clear that, unfortunately, they’ve developed a truly revolting way to get their rocks off.
Source: Courtesy / Amazon MGM Studios
Source: Courtesy / Amazon MGM Studios
Zoë does an amazing job as director in capturing the film’s progressively changing emotion, particularly in her use of color themes, unsettling first-person shots, suspenseful zoom editing, Hype Williams-style wide angles and character-appropriate dialogue. You can tell she did her homework over the years from her own fruitful acting career in films like X-Men: First Class, Divergent and its sequels, Mad Max: Fury Road, Hulu’s TV adaptation of High Fidelity and most recently as fan-favorite Gotham villain Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
Tatum, outside of the aforementioned Ackie, makes this film his own by managing to evoke an equal balance of charm and neurosis. His character’s ending almost feels unworthy based on his deplorable behavior, and it’s a testament to how well Channing was in giving us a performance immensely different than his usual lovable characters like Gambit, Magic Make or the voice of LEGO Superman.
Source: Courtesy / Amazon MGM Studios
Overall, Blink Twice is sure to take you on an unnervingly-good journey that brings the thrills, incorporates elements of comedy when needed, offers a manifesto of female empowerment in the face of oppression and ultimately gives us a theatrical case study on what can happen when power gets into the wrongs hands compared to when it gets back into the right ones.
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