If you believe the trade publications, then 2024 is a desert when it comes to big ticket movie releases. To that we say: poppycock. There’s quality there for the taking if you’re willing to take a moment and seek it out. Case in point: Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice, a sun-bleached party movie set in a tropical villa with booze and drugs on tap in which cordialities between the gender-split attendees break down in the most spectacular way possible.
The movie is a showcase for Londoner Naomi Ackie, who plays Frida, a food service worker positioning herself in the sightlines of the dashing tech mogul Slater King (Channing Tatum). Initially, Frida is a ball of nervous excitement who can’t believe her luck, as she and her bestie Jess (Alia Shawkat) are sipping cocktails on a private jet, headed to a mysterious yet luxurious destination.
A Film with Multiple Genre Touches
It’s hard to place Blink Twice into a specific genre, as it touches on elements of so many. At one minute it’s an antic comedy about female friendship; then it’s a romantic drama as Slater seems to be trying to woo Frida; and then there are quite a few elements suggestive of occult horror, especially the ominous yellow snakes that constantly slither around the estate. Yet it ends up being all of those things and more, coalescing into something that’s raw, political and provocative.
The scene where Frida finds herself surrounded by snakes is particularly intense. As one would say, Why does it always have to be snakes? Well, what says great peril more than a chamber full of the slithering reptiles?
A Star-Studded Cast and Creative Team
We’re thrilled to present Blink Twice as our featured film. We had interviews with Kravitz, Ackie, co-star Adria Arjona, alongside producer Bruce Cohen who collectively told us how Blink Twice came together. According to Kravitz, bringing this production to life required charting a tonal balancing act while celebrating women in the film industry.
A Symbolic and Artistic Cover
Leeds-based artist Sarah Madden created a gorgeous portrait of Naomi Ackie as Frida for our cover. The concept transmits the character’s initial joy at being accepted into this set, with snakes symbolizing the various dangers she faces on her discombobulating and traumatizing journey.
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