BLINK TWICE. Forgetting is a Gift [REVIEW]

“I need a damn vacation,” says Frida (Naomi Ackie), the main character of “Blink Twice”, to her own reflection. Her financial situation makes vacations nothing more than a dream. From behind the bathroom mirror, she pulls out a stack of cash—money stashed away for a rainy day. Something has to cover the overdue rent. Then quickly, off to work: waitressing at a celebrity banquet. But in her bag, Frida hides not only her work uniform but also a colorful dress and high heels. When her strict boss looks away, she quickly changes and blends into the crowd. She’s like Cinderella hunting for a Prince with six zeros in his bank account—and the hunt is successful. Frida catches the eye of Slater King (Channing Tatum), the richest of the rich. Instead of returning to her unpaid apartment, she flies with a friend to the private island of the newly met billionaire. Dreams do come true: that’s why it’s worth reflecting sometimes on what we truly wish for in life.

Debuting as a director, Zoë Kravitz constructs a setup straight out of an Agatha Christie mystery. A paradise island, eccentric guests, and carefree fun, all overshadowed by the impending doom. And then, poof: a corpse. Then another, and another—until there’s no one left. Not this time. Kravitz and her co-writer, E.T. Feigenbaum, play with our expectations. They skillfully mislead us, constantly delaying the action—the setup takes over half the movie. Before that, we watch the characters enjoy themselves, slipping into a pleasant routine. A morning drink by the pool, an afternoon joint with friends, a gourmet dinner, and finally, a solid dose of MDMA and some mandatory rolling around on the lawn. It’s easy to lose track of time. And we lose it along with the characters—because as long as the mystery remains unsolved, “Blink Twice” is thoroughly enjoyable. Adam Newport-Berry’s elegant cinematography (he also shot several episodes of “Euphoria“) draws us into a world of luxury and opulence, creating a false sense of security. The music video-style editing adds energy to the narrative while sneaking in a few-second-long, deeply unsettling visions of the future/past between shots. All events are filtered through Frida’s fragmented perspective: we slowly piece together the puzzle along with her—the amateur detective and victim in one.

A mystery is a mystery—eventually, it has to be solved. From that point on, Kravitz’s film, unfortunately, starts to nosedive. And I don’t mean the plot twist itself—I don’t agree with some critics who find it disappointing; that it’s too obvious and leaves a sense of dissatisfaction. The metaphor it contains is clear but effective—it holds up both in theory and practice. The real problems start a few minutes later. Once all the cards are on the table, Kravitz stages a bloody massacre that—at least in theory—is supposed to be cathartic. A bit like in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (the director, after all, cites Quentin Tarantino’s films as a major influence): the accumulated tension is finally released in the climax. Revenge, or even historical justice, takes place before our eyes. But it only takes a few scenes to realize that Kravitz lacks the staging talent of the “Pulp Fiction” creator. The deaths that follow are dull and generic: the director checks them off like items on a shopping list. None of the murders shock, nor do they bring any sense of satisfaction—despite the fact that it’s finally the people who made others’ lives hell that are dying. Just as with most of Tarantino’s films, Kravitz’s debut has sparked public debate about the vulgarity of violence. Honestly, I don’t understand these complaints at all: for something to be vulgar, it first needs to be “something”.

“Blink Twice” is generally an uneven film: also in terms of acting. Naomi Ackie stands out the most—she excels in the comedic-dramatic duos, first with Alia Shawkat, then with Adria Arjona. She masterfully uses her gaze, which initially radiates excitement and naivety, but gradually gives way to fear and confusion. Channing Tatum impresses as well, expanding his comedic range with a surprisingly dark portrayal of a degenerate billionaire. The rest of the cast, especially the male actors, seem to be on autopilot—either due to a lack of screen time or sketchy material. Simon Rex, whom I personally love, essentially reprises his role from “Red Rocket”. Haley Joel Osment has one interesting, albeit brief, monologue—otherwise, he just smiles and strums happily on a banjo. Christian Slater and Kyle MacLachlan might as well not be in Kravitz’s debut—but they are, lending their names to their colleague’s work. “Blink Twice” lacks strong supporting characters—a hallmark of every good mystery. Characters that would enliven the world and make us care about more than just piecing together the plot puzzle.

“Forgetting is a gift,” Tatum’s character repeats obsessively. We forget to unload the dishwasher, hang up the laundry, and handle other household chores. We forget about Mother’s Days and coworkers’ birthdays. We forget about the sins of celebrities, who repent humbly on social media. If I were being petty—and sometimes I am—I’d say we also forget about movies—usually the mediocre ones, because the truly great and the especially awful ones remain etched in our memory. Zoë Kravitz’s debut, while not devoid of interesting elements, is unlikely to find a lasting place in the minds of viewers.