Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut is a darkly comedic and disturbing thriller that sees a billionaire tech mogul living a life of luxury on a private island where things are not as they seem. Before settling on Blink Twice as the eventual title, Kravitz had created a completely different working title for her first film behind the director's chair.
Blink Twice
3/5
- Release Date
- August 23, 2024
- Director
- Zoe Kravitz
- Cast
- Naomi Ackie , Channing Tatum , Christian Slater , Simon Rex , Adria Arjona , Kyle MacLachlan , Haley Joel Osment , Geena Davis , Alia Shawkat , Levon Hawke , Trew Mullen , Saul Williams , Liz Caribel Sierra , Cris Costa , Julian Sedgwick
- Main Genre
- Thriller
The psychological thriller follows Frida (Naomi Ackie), a downtrodden co*cktail waitress and aspiring nail technician who dreams of living like the wealthy elite. When she meets tech royalty Slater King (Channing Tatum) at an event, her dreams become reality as he whisks her and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) to his private island to party with his rich friends.
Recently in therapy after being called out for inappropriate behavior, Slater's idea of taking a step back from the public eye was to buy a huge island complete with full-service private staff. Between the resort-style rooms, free clothes, lavish dinners, and endless drinks by the pool, Frida doesn't bat an eye at some of the odd behaviors around the island. Until it's too obvious to ignore.
Read Our Review
Blink Twice's Original Title Was P*ssy Island
Kravitz's original working title greatly hinted at the big twist in the film. "P*ssy Island" was the title Kravitz was working with when she started writing the screenplay for the project in 2017. In 2021, she decided to make the film her directorial debut and finished writing the script alongside E.T. Feigenbaum, who she worked with on the show High Fidelity. By 2022, Kravitz and the crew were on location in Yucatán and Mexico to begin production on the thriller.
Then, eight months before the film's theatrical release, Kravitz decided to change the name to Blink Twice. Up until January 2024, Kravitz remained staunch in her decision to give the film a provocative and surprising name. She believed it was a seed for the film's story and a statement about a time when men feel it is acceptable to name a piece of land something like that and our disbelief that anyone would think that way.
Studio & Early Viewer Backlash Caused Doubt
Kravitz remained dedicated to naming the film "P*ssy Island" as a way of reclaiming the word that is often used in derogatory or overly sexualized ways. However, Kravitz faced backlash from studio executives and even early viewers of the film over the word choice.
Kravitz stated that balking from the studio, Motion Pictures Association (MPA), and early audience reactions left her questioning whether the title was the right fit anymore. The name provided many challenges for Kravitz, such as studios being concerned about putting the word "p*ssy" on posters and billboards, and large theater chains being concerned about printing the word on tickets.
In addition to the major roadblocks from theaters and studios, Kravitz learned that many women felt uncomfortable with the title. Some early women viewers stated that they did not want to see a film with that word in the title. That was the final straw that made her reconsider the title, as she wanted people to see the movie and feel encouraged to do so.
Related
Zoë Kravitz’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
Zoë Kravitz has had a unique career, full of surprising choices, before becoming a movie star in her own right.
How the Original Title Connects to Blink Twice
The title "P*ssy Island" essentially reveals the dark truth about what Slater and his friends are doing on that faraway island. Although he makes it seem like he has sought penance and reformation for his problematic ways, Slater has secretly found a way to enact his darkest desires without fear of the public eye witnessing him in the act. Slater is a misogynistic playboy who preaches that there is no such thing as forgiveness and instead, it's better to forget.
Since he firmly believes in forgetting one's trauma, he feels inclined to live out his most disturbing fantasies under the notion that his victims will not remember a thing come morning. Using a flower unique to the island to create a specialized perfume that causes memory loss, Slater and his friends spend their nights horrifically abusing and taking advantage of the women they brought there.
Since something in the flower causes severe memory loss, Slater and his cronies are able to repeat the cycle of abuse every night. Mixed with the copious amount of drugs and alcohol they feed Frida and the other women, the men are able to wipe the slate clean in the morning.
Related
Channing Tatum's 7 Most Underrated Movies
Channing Tatum is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, but some of his lesser-known films deserve a revisit.
After her friend Jess is bitten by a venomous snake that Slater is bent on the island staff killing, Frida learns that the venom counteracts the effects of the flower. In learning this, Frida convinces Sarah (Adria Arjorna) to drink the venom and get the other women to do so as well. As the women start remembering the horrifying details of how the men had been violating them, the story launches into pure chaos.
The disturbing reveal of what Slater and the rest of the men come to the island for directly correlates to the original "P*ssy Island." It reiterates that, along with the other men, Slater feels entitled to these women and justifies his disgusting actions by reminding everyone they will not remember the atrocities the next day. These men treat them as objects to be used to play out their violent impulses and sexual fantasies. Despite the less revealing new title, Blink Twice gets the theme across just as fervently while leaving more mystery and intrigue around the mayhem the movie eventually reveals.
Watch Blink Twice now in theaters nationwide.
