Blink Twice

By Rahma

I’ve always said, if a movie provokes your feelings of uneasiness and discomfort, then it has ultimately achieved its premise. That’s exactly how I felt when I watched Blink Twice. Written and directed by Zoë Kravitz, the movie stars Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie. With themes that are quite dark and potentially triggering, it wasn’t an easy watch. But rather one that is eerie and thought-provoking. 

As you can imagine, any movie that starts with the premise of a famous and powerful billionaire inviting an ambitious waitress to join him and his group of friends on a trip to his private island would stir a kind of anger that would make you yell at the screen in anguish of how much of a terrible idea it is altogether. But things seem to be going all too well with a slight hint of uneasiness and sunshine until it is ultimately not. When inexplicable bruises appear, misplaced items return, and her best friend is nowhere to be found, our main character, Frida, finally breaks out of her dream-like lull. 

Mind-blowing plot twist after plot twist, the movie, in my opinion, has a breathtaking storytelling style. From its stunning cinematography, clever dialogue, and subtle foreshadowing, down to its powerful soundtrack, you are pained, uncomfortable, and on the edge of your seat. And that’s something I can deeply appreciate when achieved by a piece of media or art. 

The ending is what you can consider to be quite divisive. I hadn’t fully accepted it until I gave it some thought. Because you would think a person who had survived such trauma would run away as far as possible, at least I would. But Frida is as clever as she is ambitious, and the movie did a good job of never letting us forget that. This transformed the final scene of Frida taking full control into such a powerful statement, and a twisted end to a twisted story.