Susan Granger’s review of “Blink Twice” (Amazon/M.G.M.)
Taking full advantage of her ‘nepo baby’ status, Zoe Kravitz – daughter of singer/songwriter/music producer Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet – makes her directing debut with “Blink Twice,” delving into sexploitation/horror.
Her story begins as fun-loving Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her roommate Jess (Alia Shawkat) leave their dingy digs to report to work as ‘invisible’ cater/waiters, serving champagne and canapes at a posh party hosted by billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), a discredited tech mogul.
Later, after slipping into slinky gowns, they manage to ‘crash’ the party, eager to be accepted by the rich-and-famous crowd. Sure enough, they wangle an invitation to board seductive Slater’s private jet for a vacation on his secluded tropical island.
Upon arrival, they’re forced to surrender their iPhones to Slater’s aloof personal assistant/sister, Stacy (Geena Davis), before being escorted to their comfy quarters, replete with an exotic perfume, identical white bikinis and fetching resort garb.
Giggling with delight, Frida and Jess join the other guys (Christian Slater, Hayley Joel Osment, Simon Rex, Levon Hawke) and gals (Adria Arjona, Liz Caribel, Trew Mullett), frolicking around the pool.
Drinking and designer drugs are their primary amusements, and their excessive indulgence induces some kind of psychedelic stupor. Eagerly swept up in the bacchanalia, they lose track of what time and what day it is.
Jess is the first to realize that something’s wrong, although she can’t figure out what. And when she goes missing, no one, except Frida, can remember she was even there.
(If this seems more than a bit reminiscent of Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘Pedophile Island” in the Caribbean, it’s obviously no coincidence. Only Frida and Jess aren’t underage; they’re adults who willingly consent to constant partying.)
Scripted by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, sexual politics is the name of the sinister game as Frida wreaks feminist #MeToo revenge. The original title was “Pussy Island,” but that was understandably rejected for marketing reasons.
Problem is: Neither Kravitz’s concept nor her characters are never fully developed, so the satirical cynicism and graphic brutality seems inexplicably gratuitous. And the ominous presence of Slater’s therapist Rich (Kyle MacLachlan) is never explained.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Blink Twice” is a pretentious 3, streaming on Amazon Prime.
