Blink Twice

“Something horrible is about to happen,” Frida (Naomi Ackie) blurts out randomly while relaxing poolside in Blink Twice, a provocative thriller that soon proves her instincts right.

This visually striking and thematically ambitious directorial debut for actress Zoe Kravitz (The Batman) explores obsession, empowerment and processing trauma — putting a distinct #MeToo spin on the contemporary social horror subgenre popularized by Ari Aster and Jordan Peele.

It’s sharply crafted and consistently unsettling, even if the atmospheric film rarely digs beneath the idyllic surface while satirizing wealth and privilege, cancel culture, and the perils of fame in the social-media age.

It begins with disgraced tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) issuing a half-hearted apology for a scandal, saying he’s changed. But Frida remains a fan, and she manages to catch his attention while serving drinks at a gala fundraiser.

Frida and her best friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), are awestruck after being invited to a ritzy getaway hosted by Slater on a private island. They even hand over their phones to be more present in the moment.

Yet suspicious clues arise that not everything is as it seems — from attacks by venomous snakes to the waitstaff spouting incoherent gibberish to everyone asking for a lighter. After initially brushing off the red flags, Frida begins experiencing paranoid hallucinations.

Jess exhibits erratic behavior, and another woman (Adria Arjona) insists that they are targets for Slater and his eccentric associates, having been lured to the party with ulterior motives. Has she been brainwashed? What secrets are the other guests hiding?

With urgency to its narrative rhythm, the film consistently blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Some third-act twists ratchet up the tension, shift the power dynamics, and intensify the survival stakes.

Kravitz’s camera often remains fixated on the expressive face of Ackie (I Wanna Dance with Somebody), which provides an outsider’s window into this idiosyncratic world of glamour and excess.

Ackie gives the project a sympathetic emotional anchor, even if the periphery characters lack depth. The eclectic supporting cast includes Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment, Simon Rex, Kyle MacLachlan, and Geena Davis.

Some of the twists feel labored and heavy-handed, and the social commentary isn’t as subtle or incisive as intended. Yet just like its setting, Blink Twice maintains an enigmatic allure.

Rated R, 102 minutes.