Beware the handsome tech billionaire who whisks you off on his jet to his fantasy island, claiming you “don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” because, undoubtedly, at some point, the only things on the menu will be things you don’t want to do.
But bright-eyed catering waiter Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her coworker best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) can’t turn down an attractive impromptu invitation from Slater King (Channing Tatum), CEO of King Tech and a well-known party boy.
They meet the raucous tycoon at a supposed business event, but end up charming and hanging out with King in the VIP section instead, and soon they’re off to paradise with King and his motley crew, including his right-hand man Vic (Christian Slater), marijuana-smoking chef Cody (Simon Rex), entourage Tom (Haley Joel Osment), and an assortment of other party-loving kids.
Once there, surrounded by sunshine, lavish luxury, inspiring company and plenty of passed blunts and cocktails, Frieda and Jess ignore all the obvious signs that something seems too good to be true (and in this case, it definitely is).
First-time feature film director Zoe Kravitz, who co-wrote this lean, wickedly satirical thriller cautionary tale with E.T. Feigenbaum, seems well aware of where to place signposts for audiences salivating in anticipation of juicy revelations.
Through a succession of music-packed montages of King and his glamorous guests frolicking around his tree-lined mansion and his women running across the lawns in moonlight in white goddess dresses (a beautiful, repeated image), the film patiently and gleefully heats up the working-class frogs Frida and Jess in a boiling pot, realizing too late that they are in danger.
The revelation of the danger they face is handled less deftly than the lead-up to it, and similarly the bloody and violent climax, while somewhat satisfying, is nowhere near as gripping as the film’s earlier tense moments.
Joining a burgeoning crop of thriller satires that examine the bizarre lifestyles and illicit entertainment of the ultra-rich, White Lotus and menuto Saltburn and The triangle of sadness — Blink twice It has a laid back, authentic feel to it, and the filmmakers have certainly drawn on real-life experiences to inform the film.
The film depicts how a benevolent billionaire King, and this jet-setting member of the wealthy 1%, behaves and operates within his circle of app developers, crypto enthusiasts, and his oddly devoted assistant, Stacey (Geena Davis), with a quirky, satirical edge for its era.
Tatum overplays the man’s charm and forces his long, drawn-out gaze a little too forcefully, but he’s believable as the notorious ruffian trying to put on a new face for the world while hiding his wickedness behind a smile.
Opening scenes of sun-drenched decadence and wanton abandon in his mansion pulse with a creeping discomfort of class and sexual tension (and the well-chosen soundtrack is, naturally, very present) that’s as powerful as the blunt-force violence that propels the final act.
At that point, Jess and especially Frieda had missed so many obvious warning signs: the not-so-subtle verbal attacks mocking their ambition and social status; the obvious power imbalance between the men and women in King’s entourage; the overwhelming number of vipers slithering out of the woods surrounding the mansion; the inscrutable Native American staff who were practically waving warning signs at them.
The film risks losing the audience’s sympathy for Frida because she’s too much of a dedicated fool, despite Akki’s candid, engaging performance. Kravitz seems deliberately challenging us not to blame the victims who get caught in spider webs or accidentally dive face-first into them.
But in the end, feminism trumps victim blaming. Girl power saves the film, culminating in a Beyoncé needle drop near the end that has audiences rooting for the sisters to finally take action for themselves. Sooner or later, that’s a good thing.
Blink twice (★★★☆☆) is rated R and is playing in theaters nationwide. Fandango.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
