NEW YORK (OSV News) – Decadence turns dangerous in the dark psychological thriller “Blink Twice” (Amazon MGM). As it does so, actress Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, which she penned together with E.T. Feigenbaum, crosses the boundaries of the ethically acceptable, especially by seeking to evoke moviegoers’ most visceral emotions.
Naomi Ackie plays ambitious cocktail waitress Frida. After waiting on guests at a charity fundraiser, Frida and her best friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), manage to get themselves invited to the private island of the nonprofit’s founder, famous tech magnate Slater King (Channing Tatum).
There, they find themselves caught up in a nonstop party with Slater’s circle of pals, including Sarah (Adria Arjona), a veteran participant in a reality competition TV series that emphasizes well-honed survival skills. Between the flowing champagne and the abundant cannabis being freely consumed, Frida’s perceptions gradually become blurred.
The celebration, already mind-numbing, takes a distinctly ominous turn when Jess suddenly disappears and everyone except Frida herself behaves as though she had never been there in the first place. Can Frida think straight long enough to figure out what’s going on behind the scenes?
The mystery initially piques viewers’ curiosity and the humor mixed into the script helps disguise the improbability of the basic premise. Eventually, however, both climactic revelations and Frida’s reaction to them, along with similar behavior on the part of others, involve excessively graphic images and events intended to appeal to the audience’s basest instincts.
The film contains gruesome bloody violence, a revenge theme, semi-explicit sexual activity, brief rear nudity, drug use, a couple of profanities, about a dozen milder oaths, pervasive rough and much crude language and obscene gestures. The OSV News classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.