Emily Harris

A Film Review/Analysis

*Trigger Warning* This review discusses topics, such as, sexual violence/rape, spiking/drugging and physical/psychological abuse

Introduction

This is my first film related post as my page currently only consists of book reviews/analyses. I decided to branch out to film reviews as I realised I definitely consume a larger amount of visual media, however, I will still be posting book content.

Brief Synopsis

The story begins with Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat), her best friend, working as wait staff at a premium fundraising event. After tripping over, Frida is assisted by billionaire tech company owner, Slater King (Channing Tatum). They spend the evening together, leading him to inviting Frida and Jess to his private island. The two women agree and fly over with Slater and his assortment of friends. When they first arrive, they are relishing in the endless supply of food, alcohol, drugs and luxuries. The story begins to take a cataclysmic turn, however, when Jess is bitten by a snake. Her head becomes filled with doubts about the island and the men they travelled with. Frida disregards her concerns and carries on as normal. The next morning, Frida drinks snake venom, offered by the “badass maid” (María Elena Olivares). She then realises Jess has disappeared. The other women, however, have no memory of Jess until Sarah (Adria Arjona) finds her lighter with her names written along it. Sarah reveals she does not know any of the men and was not previously acquainted with Slater. Thus, they believe the men are making them forget certain experiences of the island and discover the snake venom allowed Frida to remember Jess. This leads them to give out shots of the venom to the other women on the island. As the effects of the green substance take hold, Frida and Sarah remember how they were raped and beaten. Jess was ultimately murdered because she was bitten by the snake and would remember all the terrible atrocities committed against her. They also come to understand how they are being drugged through the perfume (derived from a red flower) provided in their bedroom drawers. When the other girls finally undergo their sickening realisation, a bloodbath ensues. Frida also discovers how she has previously visited the island on an earlier occasion and experienced the same abuse. In the end, Sarah and Frida are then the only two women to survive. They manage to escape as Frida drugs Slater by lacing his vape liquid with the perfume. After they leave the island, Frida continues to drug Slater to allow herself to become CEO of his company.

Review

I recently watched ‘Blink Twice’ as my partner was looking for new film releases. I had not heard much about the film, only viewing brief trailers during previous cinema visits. Thus, my expectations were not very high and I suspected the film would meet the requirements of a typical, unremarkable thriller.

Fortunately, as the plot developed, I became extremely entertained as the deeper connotations/concepts of the film were revealed. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by this incredible film. As the credits rolled, I was also impressed to see Zoë Kravitz listed as the director. I have watched quite a few of her acting roles but was oblivious to her pursuit in directing. After viewing ‘Blink Twice’, I will be highly anticipating her next directorial piece.

Additionally, Naomi Ackie is an actress I unfortunately had not previously had the pleasure of experiencing her tremendous acting abilities. I had only briefly witnessed her skills during “The Rise of Skywalker’. I found her American accent in ‘Blink Twice’ extremely convincing and did not realise the actress was British until my later research. Thus, I am eager to view Ackie’s future lead roles as her talent becomes more recognised. Furthermore, her character in the film, Frida, remains as one of the few women able to escape the Island. She then becomes CEO of the main antagonist’s company by drugging him as he did to her. Many women disliked this ending as they believed Frida should not have maintained a relationship with Slater, even though, she now possessed all the power. I, however, enjoyed the ending as I believe letting Slater die would have been too much of a kindness. In my opinion, Slater deserved a fate worse than death as punishment for his sins. This is what he receives from Frida as she steals his memories and takes charge of his entire personal and business matters. Additionally, I was very content to witness a strong, black, female lead fight patriarchal values and seize power for herself.

Another critique many viewers expressed was how graphic the scenes containing rape were and many felt there was not enough warning. There is a brief warning before the film begins, warning the audience that the films contains ‘sexual violence’. However, his is not evident in trailers or when viewers go to buy tickets. Thus, it may be too late for a warning after consumers have already paid for tickets. I also agree that the scenes were quite horrific and could easily cause distress. I felt uncomfortable watching these moments, nonetheless, I believe this was the intention of Kravitz. There is no sugar coating violence against women and everyone should be aware of how gruesome these acts are. They should also be aware of consequences of their actions and what may happen if they continue to underestimate the resilience and strength of women. This may lead men to finally hear our voices, instead of enabling or dismissing our pain. We need stronger systems in place, however, as demonstrated in ‘Blink Twice’, it is men that have constructed this misogynistic institution that we women must obliterate.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this film as a female audience member. The feminist messages and symbolic meanings were clearly demonstrated throughout. I understand, however, that more warning as to the graphic scenes within the feature should have been provided. Nevertheless, I am eager to anticipate more directorial projects from Kravitz.

Analysis

‘Blink Twice’ is overflowing with symbolism and important messages for the audience. For instance, themes of patriarchy, misogyny against women and religion are extremely prevalent.

The theme of patriarchy was explored by Kravitz to a great extent. For instance, the male characters are presented as wealthy elites, who convince the unknowing women to join them on Slater King’s island. These ignorant men clearly view the women as weak as they believe they can easily manipulate them and control them as soon as they enter the island. This setting reminded me of Jeffrey Epstein and his sordid lifestyle, which I assume Kravitz was evidently alluding to. This is further supported by both Epstein and the fictional Slater King living the life of billionaire businessmen with their affluent associates. Thus, the film can be interpreted as an attack on white, wealthy men, mirroring real life issues within this specific group of people in high power. Furthermore, the theme of patriarchy is explored through Frida and Sarah’s characters as they are pitted against each other. They both appear to want for Slater, with Sarah in particular portraying jealousy of the attention Frida is receiving as she the attempts to insert herself in the equation. Kravitz has devised this element of the story to illustrate the real life competitiveness of women. As the male population established themselves as the dominant sex centuries ago, women have since strived to stand out. This leads to competition and the undermining of other women for the regard of men. This is useless, however, as many men may never view a woman as his equal and instead hold beliefs we are “not as funny” or “too emotional” and “incompetent” with “manly” topics, such as, sports. The men who possess these views will briefly show interest in a woman who “stands out” until they grow tedious and perceive her as no different or special from other females. Thus, women are constantly competing to be relevant in a society not set to cater for their sex. Linking back to the film, Frida and Sarah, however, join forces to free the other girls and challenge King. In these moments, Kravitz is illustrating how women should and would act if men had not oppressed them. Women should stick together and assist one another as companions. This goes against social conventions of women that men have put in place. Therefore, Sarah and Frida physically confronting Slater symbolises the film’s attack on patriarchal/misogynistic standards. Moreover, the feature ends with Frida manipulating Slater with the same drug he used to control her. By doing so, she becomes CEO of his tech company. Thus, the events in the film are the extreme consequence of this radical patriarchy. The feature may therefore be translated as a warning to men who attempt to objectify and dominate women.

Another element within the film is the religious symbolism. I recently watched a TikTok video where an avid film lover (@such.polina) describes the associations to the Garden of Eden. For instance, she remarks on the island representing paradise as the women are provided with beautiful scenery, nourishment and fine cuisine. The charm and whimsical nature of the island is negated by the women imbibing the snake venom, allowing them to become aware of the reality of their horrible situation. Similarly, after Adam and Eve consume the forbidden fruit (as persuaded to by the serpent), they become aware of the reality of their nudity and also the concepts of “good and evil”. Thus, both the snake venom in ‘Blink Twice’ and the forbidden fruit offered by the serpent allow persons to become “knowing”. After considering this interpretation, I added my own analysis, further investigating the link to the Garden of Eden. For example, in the bible, Eve is the first to consume the piece of fruit commonly portrayed in religious imagery as an apple. Later, she convinces Adam to also partake in this first act of sin known by man. Likewise, in the film, Frida drinks the venom before lacing Slater’s vape with the substance. Contrastingly, due to Eve’s act of sin, this led to generations of women obtaining a status as the root of immoral temptations. Therefore, women were from the beginning deemed the weaker sex. In ‘Blink Twice’, however, the men are the individuals committing wrongful acts. Thus, the film may be criticising religion and the damage the bible has inflicted for how women are perceived and treated accordingly. This is further supported with many of the chauvinist male characters wearing a cross, suggesting they symbolise the misogynistic views within the bible.

In conclusion, it is apparent that ‘Blink Twice’ is assault on violence against women and patriarchal norms. This is demonstrated laboriously through Kravitz’ utilisation of religious symbolism and well written characters, who accurately represent current societal conventions.