Zoe Kravitz, star of The Batman and Fantastic Beasts films, steps behind the camera for a startling debut that signals the beginning of a second stage in her career. Blink Twice stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail waitress who by chance meets tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum). The pair hit it off, with King inviting Frida and her best friend Jess (Alia Skawkat) to his private island. Filled with celebrities and hangers on, the getaway seems too good to be true. And so it transpires when Jess goes missing and Frida begins to have gaps in her memory.
Following the themes of ugly decadence that made Triangle of Sadness and Glass Onion such big hits, Kravitz shows herself to be a filmmaker with something to say. While the plot occasionally gets crowded with shock reveals and diversions, she is adept at building tension, slowly feeding information to her audience. There are elements of Jordan Peele’s Get Out in the visuals, as we see the island’s staff paste fake smiles over panicked eyes. The film also has something to say about abuse, particularly the way in which it can be suppressed in memory. It is a theme that is slightly undermined as the film descends into straightforward horror, but nonetheless gives weight to the spookiness of the premise.
Blink Twice is well-cast, particularly the leads. Ackie is enthralling as Frida, creating a full arc for her character as she discovers this island heaven is slowly turning into hell. It’s countered by Channing Tatum in one of his best dramatic performances, taking his signature charm and adding something unsettling. It’s easy to see why Frida would fall for King, but the dashing mask slips quickly. An assortment of reliable character actors give the story extra dimension, from Christian Slater and Haley Joel Osment as befuddled employees of King, to Geena Davis as a shadowy enabler. Adria Arjona (Hit Man) is a stand out as another guest who shares Frida’s suspicion that something terrible is happening, adding some female solidarity to the mix.
While not everything comes together perfectly, Blink Twice is a handsomely assembled chiller that will provide enough screams for horror fans, and enough discourse for those looking for something meatier.
• Blink Twice is in cinemas from 23 August