Blink Twice (2024) (Movie Review)

Blink Twice (2024) American psychological thriller directed and produced by Zoë Kravitz (in her directorial debut) from a script she wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum. The film stars Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum (who also produced), Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, Geena Davis and Alia Shawkat. It tells the story of a group of people invited to the private island of a billionaire tech tycoon when something strange happens to the participants.

Zoë Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, does quite well as a director. This first film is not a failure. I was happier to see her behind the camera than as Catwoman in the latest The Batman (2022). She broke through as Angel Salvadore in the superhero film X-Men: First Class (2011), and had further franchise roles in the Divergent series (2014-2016) and the Fantastic Beasts film series (2016-2018). She was Channing Tatum’s partner from 2021 to 2024.

Channing Tatum is excellent in this role. He has outdone himself and proved himself this time. It was already great to see him in Deadpool 3 as Remy LeBeau / Gambit, especially given that the film, which was planned, was never produced and never saw the light of day.

When I saw the other male actors in the film, I was thrilled! I was so happy to see Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment and Kyle MacLachlan. As for the women, it was Geena Davis who made me very happy in this casting, because she’s the only one I know. Well, I’m not going to give a detailed report on each actor, but basically: Christian Slater made his mark on me in The Name of the Rose (1986), Tales from the Darkside – The Movie (1990), True Romance (1993), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Very Bad Things (1998) and Dolan’s Cadillac (2009). Haley Joel Osment is, of course, Sixth Sense (1999), but also Un Monde Meilleur/Pay it forward (2000). Then he grew up and I didn’t follow his career. Maybe I’ll get into one or two series in which he plays a part. The most recent film I’ve seen with him is the excellent Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019), a biopic about killer Ted Bundy.

Kyle MacLachlan is in the excellent Breathe In (2013), he’s relatively well known for Blue Velvet (1986), he’s been in Showgirls (1995), Franky (2018) and so on. I haven’t seen Tesla (2020) yet, but I’m really interested. Come on, I confess: I know him mainly from the excellent series Desperate Housewives!

Geena Davis is best remembered for Beetlejuice (1988), although she was in The Fly (1986). After that, her filmography is impressive (as is her height!), in which there have been daubs and some very good ones, but she’ll never be forgotten in Thelma & Louise (1991).

I was quite surprised to find Simon Rex here! He began his career being photographed naked for a magazine, then appeared in three gay pornographic films, but it was as an MTV VJ that he became famous. VJ, if ever, stands for video jockey (also sometimes abbreviated to veejay). Today, he is known as an American actor and rapper. Yes, he is!

As for Levon Hawke, I was completely wrong. I thought he was Rhys Wakefield, the leader of the villains in American Nightmare – The Purge (2013), but then I thought, that’s not possible, he can’t be that young. He couldn’t possibly be any younger than he was more than ten years ago… So I was surprised to discover that Levon Hawke is the son of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, and the brother of actress Maya Hawke. Ethan Hawke who just happened to be… in The Purge! Amazing!!! In another little wink, this son was named after Levon Helm from the rock band The Band, one of his father’s musical heroes. Right on!

All that said, I thought this film was pretty good, I was well taken by the intriguing story. The lead actresses (and the rest of the cast) do quite well, especially Adria Arjona who plays Sarah. The film’s title is excellent, although I had to think twice before seeing it. It’s another title you can understand as you watch. The problem is that it’s not a masterpiece, because there are plenty of details that stick and that you don’t believe. A bit too far-fetched, even if there are some very interesting messages.

It’s the first time I’ve seen a Trigger Warning at the start of a film! Nice touch. Usually, it’s television or certain websites that put them there, but not the film itself. The ending’s not bad, but it’s the very end that I’m not convinced of. There’s a kind of plot twist that I’ve seen in other films, but I can’t remember right now. The only one that comes back to me is unfortunately the very bad “Pet” which is a psychological thriller from 2016.

In terms of atmosphere and déjà vu, it’s crazy, but we’re once again reminded of Get Out (2017) Speak No Evil (2022 & 2024). Blink Twice had some elements of Mila Jovovich’s Paradise Hills (2019), but obviously everyone will see what they want in it, according to their own references. A film to see for fans of thrillers that aren’t very gory or really realistic. It’s still well made, not necessarily disappointing, but very special. That’s for sure!

My Rating