Zoë Kravitz sure turned heads with the announcement of her directorial debut, a crazy island thriller initially titled “Pussy Island.” Eventually changed to the less provocative, more-marketable “Blink Twice” —a reference to being kidnapped and blinking to convey you’re in danger—the film is a psychological thriller about a cocktail waitress who becomes infatuated with a tech billionaire and travels with him to his private island, where things begin to go wrong. It definitely feels like a cautionary tale about dating in the modern world, only super heightened, exaggerated, and with some horror-film leanings.
“Blink Twice” stars Channing Tatum (Kravitz’s real-life fiancée) and Naomie Ackie, known for her role in the third season of “Master Of None,” and for playing Whitney Houston in the biopic “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,”
Before it was changed, Kravitz said the title was vital to the story. “The title came from that world. The title is the seed of the story,” she told The Wall Street Journal in 2022. “It represents this time where it would be acceptable for a group of men to call a place that, and the illusion that we’re out of that time now.”
Tatum previously said it was a “crazy thriller” and suggested it would be a disturbing film that would get audiences talking.
“I play someone a little darker than I’ve ever played,” Tatum told EW earlier this year. “We are definitely exploring some very uncomfortable themes, and I don’t want to give away too much, but I’ve definitely never played a character like [this]. It was scary to play because it’s definitely going to be a talking piece when it comes out. I think people are really gonna want to talk about it. That’s kind of the point, in a way. It’s meant to unsettle you.”
“Blink Twice” also features Christian Slater (“Dr. Death”), Alia Shawkat (“Search Party”) and Geena Davis (“Thelma & Louise”), along with Adria Arjona (“Andor”), Haley Joel Osment (“Goliath”), Liz Caribel Sierra (“God’s Time”), Levon Hawke (“The Crowded Room”), Trew Mullen (“Sunny Family Cult”), Saul Williams (“Akilla’s Escape”), Cris Costa and Kyle MacLachlan (“Blue Velvet”).
“This summer, make some memories” is the chilling tagline, and here’s the official synopsis:
When tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) at his fundraising gala, sparks fly. He invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. It’s paradise. Wild nights blend into sun-soaked days, and everyone’s having a great time. No one wants this trip to end, but as strange things start to happen, Frida begins to question her reality. There is something wrong with this place. She’ll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out of this party alive.
“Blink Twice” was written by Kravitz & E.T. Feigenbaum. MGM Studios plans on releasing the film in theaters on August 23. Watch the first trailer below