Zoë Kravitz's New Film is the Thriller Baby of "The White Lotus" and "Don't Worry Darling"

Starring Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie, Kravitz's directorial debut is set in an exotic island where things are not as great as they initially seem.

Photo: Blink Twice

I discovered Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut, Blink Twice, through Taylor Swift's Instagram stories. Swift described it as "visually stunning" and "genius," but I was skeptical—after all, I use those same words to comment on my friends' reels.

I've been a fan of Zoë since Big Little Lies. She exudes effortless cool, and it’s clear that, while she's magnetic on screen, there’s so much more to her beneath the surface. Blink Twice absolutely proves that.

Originally titled Pussy Island (according to the internet, it was renamed after a focus group found the title offensive), Blink Twice follows Frida (Naomi Ackie), a cocktail waitress who, after a chance encounter with tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), is invited to a lavish vacation on his private island. As days blend into nights filled with luxury and excess, Frida starts to suspect that something sinister is hiding beneath the surface. Strange occurrences and unsettling behavior among the guests lead her to question the true nature of this paradise, forcing her to confront the dark secrets lurking on the island.

If you browse the reviews on Letterboxd, you’ll notice complaints about the trailer revealing too much of the plot. Personally, I avoided the trailer beforehand, which likely enhanced my experience. This film just gets it. It’s one of those movies that will resonate with anyone who claps during Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad.

Blink Twice is like the refreshing younger sibling of recent psychological thrillers. It takes the best elements from films like Don't Worry Darling, Get Out, and Saltburn, and weaves them into an original story. On top of the twists and thrills reminiscent of those films, if you love the complex character dynamics of The White Lotus, you'll love this film.

Let’s talk about the cast. Channing Tatum should play assholes more often. His portrayal of Slater King is so precise that I need to rewatch 21 Jump Street just to cleanse my palate. He seamlessly transitions from douchey to downright terrifying when the plot calls for it, which elevates the film. Naomi Ackie, who plays Frida, is the perfect set of eyes through which we experience this world. Her emotional range is remarkable—I, along with the rest of the theater, found myself gasping, laughing, and even screaming at times. And special mention to the woman who shouts "Red Rabbit" at Frida—you’re gonna work forever, girl.

SPOILERS AHEAD

So much works in this film, but the island setting in Mexico is particularly effective. We go on vacation to forget, to escape reality. This is exactly what Slater King promises Frida: "Come to my island, and you'll forget." But the truth is much darker—and quite literal. Slater gives the women a perfume that contains a chemical designed to make them forget. Every day, they lounge by the pool, drink, smoke, then have dinner, do drugs, run wild, and wake up remembering nothing.

To counter the theme of forgetting, Zoë Kravitz uses snakes. These yellow, poisonous creatures appear repeatedly throughout the film, and the guests are terrified of them. When Frida arrives on the island, we see the groundskeepers killing them, and Slater even claims to feel bad about it. But later, the snakes are revealed to be the antidote to forgetting. This explains why Jess, Frida's friend, is killed after being bitten by one. It’s also why Frida is able to remember Jess—because she drinks the snake poison that our "Red Rabbit! Red Rabbit!" queen hands her.

Soon, the women start to regain their memories, and the dark, twisted truth of Slater King and his island begins to unravel. What follows is a Ready or Not style chase, ending in a perplexing conclusion. It’s the kind of film you want to watch with a friend, just so you can grab dinner afterward and debate why you think Frida did what she did.

If you ask me, the film speaks volumes about abuse, violence, misogyny, and the hunger for power. It reveals how people, no matter how powerful they become, are never satisfied—and in their relentless pursuit for more, they are more than willing to become monsters.

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"Blink Twice" is out on August 23rd in theaters.