Zoe Kravitz is known for being the daughter of rock superstar Lenny Kravitz and playing Catwoman in the 2022 blockbuster The Batman. She can cut it as an actress, but can she deliver as a film director? Absolutely. Blink Twice, which she also co-wrote, is one of the most exciting debuts for someone behind the camera since Jordan Peele’s Get Out, which has some similarities. A tense thriller with a dash of dark comedy, this deals with a topic of empowerment and manipulation in a way that is so shocking that the film carries a warning at the beginning.

Frida is a cocktail waitress at an essential party for tech billionaire Slater King. They accept when he invites her and her friend, Jess, to his isolated island. Once there, everything seems idyllic. The women dressed the same in white, have champagne on tap while they enjoy an incredible three-course meal every night and designer drug that allow them to party through the night. Everything on the surface seems perfect, but it is much darker and dangerous.

Kravitz allows the story to play out slowly as we watch Frida, obviously taken by Slater, enjoying the attention she is getting while the other islanders sunbathe during the day and party through the night. The normality of the island is that these seem to be strangers brought together by a billionaire who has had issues in the past but seems to be a changed man. He seems to be the perfect host, with the men all having some connection with King, while the women just seem to have been picked to join this group of party people.

This should have been the first warning sign, and Kravitz didn’t make things too apparent at first. This looks like perfection for anyone. Sunshine, new clothes, silk sheets on the beds, in a mansion with a swimming pool. Yet, as soon as they arrive, nothing seems to click. The strange cleaning lady collecting snakes, the personal assistant who seems fussy and not entirely in control, and the psychiatrist who doesn’t remember meeting Frida at the cocktail party. Kravitz drops little clues throughout, yet nothing is as shocking as the truth when we see the truth behind the island.

This is one of those thrillers you think you’ve seen before, yet what makes it more impressive than most is the direction and cinematography. It is stunning. It would have been so easy to point the camera and shoot, yet Kravitz has an eye for the visuals, using close-ups and off-centring the screen. Nothing here seems conventional, but each frame has been thought about. The colour palette is perfect for capturing the island while using shadows and dark colours to inflict an air of peril and tension. The film also has some clever needle drops that help with the atmosphere and a solid score by Chanda Dancy.

When the truth is revealed, the film spins into a world of extreme and bloody violence that some might find hard to stomach. However, once you know what has been going on, you understand why the characters react the way they do, and it is a retribution of the highest order. Just be prepared because, for a 15-certificate movie, this is strong.

Kravitz has put together a cracking cast. Old favourites from the past have been brought back to the screen. Christian Slater, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan, and Haley Joel Osment seem to be having the time of their lives in minor but essential roles. Adria Arjona is good as Sarah, one of the women whose past includes being on a reality show about women taking on tough challenges, and she gets to show that toughness. Alia Shawkat is also great as Jess, but she isn’t given enough screen time as she is one of those actresses who can provide so much.

As Slater, this is one of Channing Tatum’s best performances. He is a smooth, charming man who could win over anyone, yet you can tell there is something more behind his eyes. It’s good to see him outside his comfort zone and giving a much darker character to play. As Frida, Naomie Ackie, last seen as Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance With Somebody, is outstanding. She carries the confusion and the horror of the place while being charmed by this mysterious tech giant and the grandeur of the situation as we follow the events through her eyes. It’s a star turn from a British actress who will be offered bigger things.

Blink Twice is a cracking thriller that will shock and horrify. It’s a warning that most billionaires are creepy, and you should never accept an invitation to go to their island without letting someone know where you are. It might have a few holes, but this is a terrific debut from Kravitz as a director, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

4 out of 5

Director: Zoe Kravitz

Starring: Naomie Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Adria Arjona, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Simon Rex, Liz Caribel, Levon Hawke, Trew Mullen

Written by: Zoe Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum

Running Time: 102 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 23rd August 2024