Zoë Kravitz's debut thriller 'Blink Twice' has been released online, in which a remote island becomes a source of trouble for invited guests.

Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat) work as waitresses and take on various side gigs while dreaming of a luxurious and carefree life. Frida has an idol – a wealthy IT mogul named Slater (Channing Tatum), whom she follows on social media. One day, sneaking into a private reception, Frida gets lucky and meets him in person. Slater invites Frida and her friend to his private island to relax and have fun. It seems like a golden ticket for Frida. However, upon arriving on the island, she begins to notice frightening things. But everyone around her insists everything is fine.

The debut film of actress Zoë Kravitz instantly became one of the most anticipated thrillers of the year, and after its release, expectations, which is quite rare, were almost met. The script for the film “Blink Twice” was created by her in collaboration with E.T. Feigenbaum, who previously worked on the storyline for the series “High Fidelity”, in which Kravitz herself played the lead role.

In addition to the main stars — Naomi Ackie (“Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody”, “The End of the F***ing World”) and Channing Tatum (“Dog”, “Fly Me to the Moon”), the film features an impressive ensemble of supporting actors. There’s the incredibly funny Simon Rex as a trendy chef, Hollywood veteran Christian Slater, “The Sixth Sense” star Haley Joel Osment, and even “veteran Agent Cooper” Kyle MacLachlan.

Although the plot of “Blink Twice” is replete with social commentary, starting with the thesis that wealthy and influential white men are nothing but trouble, and ending with the idea of the harm of overwork and the importance of periodic rest, the film sometimes resembles a parable about a paradise island where everyone worships sybaritism. There, you can not only disconnect from real problems but also forget them entirely and be blessed. And as a sobering factor, there is also snake venom, capable of dispelling illusions. And it will ultimately play a key role.

This motif is directly indicated by one of the scenes in “Blink Twice,” when in the midst of a wild party, men in laurel wreaths and carelessly draped sheets like togas chase after the island’s female guests, like satyrs in a fairy-tale forest. At some point, it all becomes absurd, grotesque, and seemingly not very skillful parody. The men here are generally too caricatured and embody mostly textbook occupations and professions: a billionaire partygoer, a chef, a media holding owner, a simple hipster, and a Gen Z hanger-on.

They love to eat well, go fishing, drink heavily, have a good time, and generally not worry about anything. “Are you having a good time?” is the main question that occupies Kravitz for the first two-thirds of the film. And at first, it concerns all participants in the events. Perhaps, by the author’s design, all this would smoothly mislead the viewer, but the effect of such a soothing question is exactly the opposite. You immediately understand that this care is clearly preparing you for something. And clearly something very bad.

In the middle of the film, as if afraid that the ancient Greek amusements are becoming too apparent on screen and are about to take the place of the main narrator, Kravitz abruptly begins to dispel the mythological fog, changing direction towards a more modern horror and the currently popular theme of objectification of women in cinema. This is where easily recognizable allusions to “Get Out”, “The White Lotus”, “Triangle of Sadness”, and a dozen other films and series come in, where luxury, wealth, and power have a second and third bottom, which a mere mortal should not descend to, lest they accidentally find their own doom there.

The final third of “Blink Twice” also does not shine with uniqueness and almost entirely comes from Tarantino with his ostentatious emphasis on bloody violence. This also includes a simple but, it must be noted, quite intriguing cat-and-mouse game. But the finale, as if remembering the original concept, Kravitz invents herself, without relying on the aura of established masters and demonstrating her own decent authorial taste. At the same time, she does not descend into heavy tediousness and does not spoil the viewer’s mood. The whole underlying theme in “Blink Twice” focuses on the idea that female friendship exists, that today’s young generation often becomes hostage to an endless race for success. And the mortal danger on a paradise island is just another way to dispel the boredom of endless side gigs and the desperate search for a better life.

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