Blink Twice

'Blink Twice' was truly a pleasant surprise, and one of the most entertaining movies of the year.

Zoë Kravitz made her directorial debut with a film she wrote and directed, and she managed to gather a truly stellar cast. Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, The legendary Kyle MacLachlan and many more. Above all, Naomi Ackie manages to carry the film in an amazing way, with a captivating, impressive, and very charismatic performance. Since the movie has so many plot twists, it's difficult to praise the other performances without getting into spoilers, but I can only say that the impressive cast does a really successful job here.

It's truly surprising to think that this is the first film Kravitz has written and directed because it feels like the work of a very experienced and talented screenwriter and director. The movie is made and structured very well, and it seems that during her years as an actress, she learned a lot from the people she worked with, and her debut film is far from looking like the first film of a filmmaker. A very professional job from all angles. If she continues in this direction, I see great achievements in her future.

Although the film is a psychological thriller, Kravitz managed to blend the genre with a lot of humor. There are several moments in the film that will surely shock many viewers, especially with the way they come out of nowhere, and the fact that they are flanked by humorous scenes on both sides is quite unusual, reminiscent of early Guy Ritchie films or even Quentin Tarantino's extreme dark humor.

The film's length is very compact, and I feel that its pacing was just right. Although it took a little too long to "get into things," the tension and mystery are built very effectively throughout the film, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat, eager to see and know more. Additionally, the very ending of the story feels a bit odd and even slightly rushed, containing two or three holes and points that raise questions ("how and why did this happen if such and such?").

The soundtrack, as minimalist as it is, it adds a lot of atmosphere. Less is more, in this case. Additionally, the sound editing in the film was very impressive and added to the atmosphere of tension that the movie tries to build from the very first moment. The cinematography is also very impressive, and in general, this film feels very high-quality in its technical aspects.

In my opinion, this is one of the most surprising and entertaining films of the past year. I really enjoyed watching it, but it's important to come prepared for a pretty wild film that's completely without restraint. On the one hand, the movie is full of humor, but on the other hand, expect some pretty harsh things to watch. Zoë Kravitz pleasantly surprises with her first film, and I hope that beyond a successful acting career, she will continue in this direction as a director/screenwriter and bring us more original and surprising films like this one.

The end really didn't do it for me.

I really was engaged with this movie for 95% of the ride and then the last couple of moments felt like.... A different story and point entirely.

I am still thinking about it and trying to reconcile in my mind why did they end it that way? It does not seem like the intention or maybe the general message of the rest of the film.

Is the ending supposed to be a statement of society, or a fantasy that we were supposed to be excited about? I don't know. It seemed contrived and trying to be edgy and I just wish something more practical happened with our main characters.

That ending wasn't justice. And it wasn't empowering. It was unsettling.

Reguardles, this film may make you really feel some intense emotions, as you figure out what is going on and I think they executed that very well. Everyone in this acted in a way that really impressed me and showed a lot of intent with just their body language in many scenes. I felt a lot more than I heard, and that was a very immersive experience.

I would have given this movie a 9, if it weren't for that ending. And I hope there one day is some other cut released that has almost anything else happening to these 2 main characters. It seems so out of place and fast, it makes you think it was merely an interchangeable afterthought, to what was a really interesting story and plot (during the majority of the movie) .

This is mainly due to:

• the very good actors, who are

charismatic and convincing. Especially the role of the self-made billionaire Channing Tatum and Adria Arjona.

Adria Arjona is the secret star of the movie - in my opinion. She looks stunning and plays the funniest scenes in the movie.

• and the story, which keeps you interested in how all of this is going to play out.

Basically, there are some "Saltburn" vibes (the rich invite the normal people to a non-stop party time, separated from the rest of the world) and some "Get Out" vibes. (Something seems wrong here).

The soundtrack is also really nice.

An absolutely brilliant choice of music, mainly soul/funk/Disco. Rufus with Chaka Khan, James Brown, and more.

And the movie is funny. It's almost a comedy, even though it's actually a brutal mystery thriller.

I recommend checking out this little gem. Don't listen to the extremely negative reviews. Haters gonna hate.

First off, for a first time director, Zoe Kravitz has done very well. The film keeps everything interesting and goes along at a good pace.

Channing Tatum (being on the poster) is the draw for the audience. Especially, one that without him may not ultimately get a look in. He does a very competent job.

The sexual violence - there is a disclaimer at the start. That disclaimer, from what I saw in another review, is apparently a hint at what you should expect and the reviewer seemed disappointed that the sexual violence wasn't more graphic.

To address the issue, I personally didn't need to see that. For a few reasons, primarily this is NOT a film locking your head in position to confront you with the ugly reality of how sexual violence is perpetrated. We can gather that it's not good. We know.

What this film is primarily about psychological thriller. And we have seen films (not necessary addressing the issue at hand) like this across the decades. Pacey thrillers where you want the goody to outwit the evil baddy. And to that end, this does a very good job. It reveals the plot at a reasonable pace.

I don't want to spoilt the plot so I haven't talked about it. The trailer tells you what you need but ideally go into this not knowing anything.

You may even figure out the ending but even then it produces a twist to it all (albeit one that may counter the issues at hand).

This a metaphor for societies' ills with men who abuse women. And as such, we know in real life the awful things that happen. This film is simply packaging that as a thriller and providing a possible way to mitigate these ills even if the final turn is a little...imo....problematic.

You will enjoy this if you after a good night in and looking for a pacey thriller.

It is a lot better than some other thrillers I have seen recently.

If you're after extreme violence and horror, I suspect you will be disappointed.

Think more "Get Out" than say "Irreversible". Both great films, just different levels of violence.

Anyway, personally, I enjoyed it and it wasn't too overlong.

I went into this film without knowing anything, which is uncharacteristic of me. I didn't read about its production, didn't watch a trailer, didn't even know it was directed by Zoë Kravitz. I came home late from work and sat down for the first thing Amazon Prime promoted me that seemed watchable.

One thing's for sure though, this film stayed with me long after the credits. It kept me up all night and I imagine it's going to haunt me for days still. I tried to soothe with distractions but no trauma group or therapist prepared me for how triggered I would still get. Imagine if Get Out (2017, dir. Jordan Peele) had a baby with Promising Young Woman (2020, dir. Emerald Fennell) and Made for Love (TV Series 2021-2022, dir. Alissa Nutting). Unlike most revenge fantasies though, this film and the last two which were also created by women, understands something most male directors don't - we have to live in this world with our bad guys. They don't get to just die in a blaze of glory as we slo-mo walk away into a life of vindicated righteousness. While the film alluded to sexual assault of men as well (and the unfortunate fixation on the adage that "hurt people hurt people") the experience is still gendered extremely disproportionately.

It is a richly lit, shockingly edited, revolting look at wealth much in the style of Triangle of Sadness (2022, dir. Ruben Östlund) but it contributes unique and unexpected twists that kept me glued to the screen without pause. Like so many excellent films being made today, it is hard, raw, unrelenting, and it also forced me to once again face impossible things. I can't say it was healing but much of the healing journey doesn't feel like repair. It feels more like a burdensome pit in my stomach whose influence changes from age to age. Blink Twice brought up rage. Beautiful, deep, painful rage.