This is the second film I’ve seen in a less than a week about women suffering under the coercion of controlling men (the previous one was SPEAK NO EVIL – which is very good!) BLINK TWICE felt like a more stylised, trippy take on this subject matter. Slightly more fantastical, it reminded me a bit of DON’T WORRY DARLING, Olivia Wilde’s bizarro sci-fi horror from 2022 and even THE BEACH.
The story focuses on a young woman, who through a chance connection finds herself and her best friend invited to stay at a private island owned by a tech billionaire. While she is initially seduced by the luxurious lifestyle, it becomes gradually apparent that something sinister is at play with all the female guests. Will she discover what it is, before it overwhelms her? Well, obviously yes – because it would be a pretty dull film otherwise 😛
There’s a decent cast. Noami Ackie was fine as the lead, though not hugely memorable. Channing Tatum can be charming, vulnerable and menacing all at once, and suited the role of the principal antagonist. And the supporting cast is filled with an interesting set of actors I haven’t seen in movies for a while, like Christian Slater, Kyle McLachlan, Haley Joel Osment and Geena Davis. And it certainly looks good, with vibrant use of colour and plenty of trippy optical effects.
So did I like it? Yes – with some caveats. It did feel like it could have done with a bit more time spent on character development. Especially the relationship between Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum, which really was the core of the film. It felt like we didn’t really know much about him and when the resolution of the film comes, it all seemed to wrap up very quickly. This feels like a film that flirts with darkness (and there are some horrific scenes) but ultimately doesn’t go quite as hard as the idea deserved. So yeah… It’s an OK thriller with a decent sense of style. I can imagine it might hit differently if you’re a woman. For me, it’s a 6/10
