Sometimes the hardest part of reviewing a film is figuring out how to properly review it without delving too deeply into the plot of a film that I believe is best experienced knowing very little about what’s going on and just letting the story play out as you watch it. I don’t watch trailers until after I see a movie, and I’ll say that the trailers for Blink Twice give far, far too much away. That’s not surprising with movie trailers these days, which all like to average three minutes in length and cram as many sequences into them as possible, spoilers be damned. The first line of the first trailer released for Blink Twice is an absolutely massive spoiler regardless of its context, so if this movie has slipped under your radar then I highly recommend you avoid the trailers and just go and watch the movie because it’s a really well-crafted, slow burning psychological thriller that I feel benefits from going in blind.
The movie stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a waitress who also has a passion for designing animal themed nails – or a-nail-mals, as she likes to say. She and her friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), are living in a mold-infested apartment living paycheque to paycheque, but Frida sees a potential light on the horizon at a private event the two will be working where she hopes to run into billionaire tech mogul Slater King (Channing Tatum). The reason she’s so smitten is because at the event the year prior King said that he liked her nails and she’s lived off that high ever since, despite King’s personal troubles that forced him to apologize for his unknown actions, step down as CEO of his company and go into therapy, all which Frida follows through social media.
Frida surprises Jess with a dress for the event and the two sneak in trying to act as though they belong. Frida does catch Slater’s attention when her heel breaks and she falls flat on her face; however, this was literally the break she was hoping for, as Slater helps her to her feet and then after a night of talk invites her and Jess to his private island he bought to help center himself after stepping down as CEO. Without giving it a second thought the pair are on a private jet, drinking champagne and living the high life with Slater and his group of rich friends.
That’s as far as I’ll go into the plot itself, as again, it’s truly best experienced by letting things play out the way that’s intended. The more you know the more you’ll be waiting for things to happen and the less invested you’ll be in the now. The film is directed and co-written by Zoë Kravitz (E.T. Feigenbaum is the other half of the writing team) and she proves to have quite the touch in her directorial debut. It’s clear she had a vision for how she wanted the story to play out, how and when things should be revealed, and how in the know she wanted audiences to be throughout, and the result is a truly engrossing psychological thriller.
The acting is top tier across the board, with a fantastic cast that sees everyone playing their parts perfectly. Frida and Jess are the audience in the story. They’re your normal, everyday person trying to find their place in the world while the upper echelon seems to have it made. Meanwhile, Slater’s group that the pair meet at the party are exactly the type you’d expect to be living this lavish lifestyle without a care in the world. We’ve got Slater’s friends which include photographer Vic (Christian Slater), childhood friend and personal chef Cody (Simon Rex), former TV star Tom (Haley Joel Osment), his personal assistant Stacy (Geena Davis), newcomer to the billionaire group, the boy wonder Lucas (Levon Hawke), and a trio of ladies who fit right in, Sarah (Adria Arjona), Camilla (Liz Caribel) and Heather (Trew Mullen). Oh, and we can’t forget Slater’s personal security guard, Stan (Chris Costa).
Sometimes with movies in this genre you’ll try to think two steps ahead and figure out where a story is going, or if it’s a more cliché-ridden script then you’ll likely know what path you’re being lead down without giving it a second thought; however, with Blink Twice I was just so captivated by the characters, the slowly unwinding story and the style of its delivery that I didn’t actually once try to guess what was happening, or even try to think ahead. I was completely in the moment with the characters from start to finish and the movie was all the better because of it. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers then do yourself a favour and add Blink Twice to the top of your “must see” list and let it take you on its terrifying and spellbinding journey.
Overall Movie Score: 4/5
Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
What helps elevate the stylistic storytelling in Blink Twice is the fantastic Blu-ray transfer it received here. The colours are vibrant, the blacks are deep, and everything truly looks fantastic. There’s nothing here to truly complain about on the visual front, and with Blu-ray being the highest quality you’re able to take home with you that’s a good thing. Just beautiful all around and helps the film be as engrossing as it is.
On the audio side of things we’ve also got wins across the board, with a great DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that allows the dialogue to shine through front and center, while also sound effects and uncomfortable tones from every angle when the moments call for it. It’s all part of the stylistic delivery that Kravitz was going for and it all comes home in just about the best fashion one could hope for outside of 4K and Dolby Atmos.
Special Features:
Here we unfortunately come up empty, as it really would’ve been great to have had a commentary track from Kravitz, or even a behind-the-scenes piece on putting the film together. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be this time out.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Blink Twice. Directed by: Zoë Kravitz. Written by: Zoë Kravitz, E.T. Feigenbaum. Starring: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Adria Arjona, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis. Running time: 102 Minutes. Rating: 14A. Released on Blu-ray: Nov. 5, 2024.
About Brendan Campbell
