Review: Blink Twice is an homage to Boogie Nights

Blink Twice starts with a character scrolling their feed on the toilet, watching an apology video made by a billionaire, immediately setting its intentions. Director Zoe Kravitz decided to make a comedy mystery as her debut, not an easy task, and she hits every beat. Blink Twice is captivating, looks gorgeous and has plenty to say, in the vein of Get Out and Bodies, Bodies, Bodies.

Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat) are jobbing catering staff at a swanky party for a billionaire tech bro, the aptly named Slater King (Channing Tatum). After their shift, Jess and Frida – a huge Slater fan – sashay their way into the party to hobnob with Slater’s friends. These include polaroid-happy Vic (Christian Slater), bigwig Tom (Haley Joel Osment) and personal chef Cody (Simon Rex). Together with party girls Heather and Camilla (Trew Mullen and Liz Caribel) and acerbic Survivor (TV show) winner Sarah (Adria Arjona) the gang fly to King’s personal island, for endless days of partying. There’s booze, drugs, haute cuisine and constant merriment, but after a while Frida can’t recall what day it is, and the girls are forgetting other things, like the origins of their bruises or why they have dirt under their nails. But who cares about that when they’re having such a good time, and with a hot billionaire fawning over her, Frida is having a GREAT time …isn’t she?

Kravitz builds tension in this otherworldly paradise through a haze of primary colours and smoke. The movie is funny and knowing, with every scene meticulously composed. And when the mystery is revealed Kravitz navigates the sharp turn with skill, showing finesse in staging horror and action as well as comedy. These thrills and spills enable excellent work from the actors. Ackie is a winning and believable protagonist asked to carry a wild conceit, and every cast member gets space to make their mark. Tatum is so good at being slightly off, the film subverting his screen-idol appeal, plus Shawkat and Arjona are always the best things on screen. The film also treats the viewer to Geena Davis and Kyle Maclachlan, perfectly cast in parts where it’s never certain if they’re the dumbest or smartest people on the island.

In another cool twist, Blink Twice feels like an homage to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights. Kravitz channels the Roller Girl vibe for Heather, parts of the soundtrack and the sinful musk in the air, as well as an impending sense that all partying must come to an emergency stop eventually. If not as accomplished as PTA’s film, Kravitz’s is infinitely better to look at, with a stunning tableau of luxury resort living and without the seedy male gaze.

Blink Twice certainly isn’t perfect. It requires a suspension of disbelief that is too difficult to maintain. It’s supposed to be allegorical, but the horrors beneath a rich, party lifestyle are only too real, leading to terror being inappropriately minimised in pursuit of a gag. And on occasion Kravitz gilds the lily, not confident enough yet in her clear directorial talent, by telegraphing key plot points.

Blink Twice is thrilling, funny and so of the moment. Kravitz shouldn’t think twice about directing another movie, she’s really good at this.