★★★★★

starring: channing tatum, naomi ackie, adria arjona, and alia shawkat

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REVIEWER: lyall carter

When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. As strange things start to happen, Frida questions her reality.

I still hear people bemoan the state of cinema and its apparent lack of originality. Yet when you ask them if they watched Monkey Man, Radical, or Perfect Days at the cinema they just stare at you blankly. So this is your invitation to head out to your local and not only support something fresh but to be thoroughly disturbed and entertained along the way. One of the most original films of 2024, Blink Twice will enthrall and thoroughly gross you out in equal measure with the most wonderfully realized and rewarding final acts of the year. An absolute must see.

When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, sparks fly. He invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. It’s paradise. Wild nights blend into sun soaked days and everyone's having a great time. No one wants this trip to end, but as strange things start to happen, Frida begins to question her reality. There is something wrong with this place. She’ll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out of this party alive.

Even as Blink Twice begins, you cannot help but feel a sense of unease. This gradually and expertly builds throughout the film, without giving too much away, until the film reaches its furious and blood drenched final act. And although it borrows heavily from the likes of Get Out and even Stepford Wives, Blink Twice feels like nothing you’ve ever seen before. A heck of a lot comes down to Zoe Kravitz, in her directorial debut. 

All of her choices from the pacing of the story to the production design and even the cinematography and editing are inspired. It not only keeps the audience guessing and second guessing their perception of reality, but it keeps it insanely filled with energy and fresh. I can't wait to see what she's going to do next from the directors chair. 

Kravitz delves into some pretty serious themes here, which if I divulge too much will spoil the film, but she does it in such a way that lets you see enough without it being exploitative.

Naomi Ackie is a revelation here, perfectly embodying the audience's sense of unease and growing horror. Adria Ajona is a furious whirlwind of bloodied vengeance, while you would have never seen Channing Tatum like this. He is sublime. 

One of the most original films of 2024, Blink Twice will enthrall and thoroughly gross you out in equal measure with the most wonderfully realized and rewarding final act of the year. An absolute must see.

★★★★★