The new thriller Blink Twice premieres this week, but you'd be forgiven for not immediately recognising the film's title.
Perhaps the name Pussy Island would be more likely to ring a bell, considering that's what the film was originally named for several years. From the moment it was first penned by Zoë Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, the moniker stuck around throughout the film's development, casting and even filming.
Ultimately the title was scrapped, as Kravitz said the world was not ready to see the word 'pussy' in her movie's title. She'd been told it would ultimately damage the film's distribution plan, with cinemas hesitant to place it on promotional material or even see it printed on a ticket.
Or perhaps you've mostly heard the film referred to as 'that Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum movie' since it's the film where first-time director Kravitz and leading man Tatum met and fell in love, before getting engaged in October 2023.
While all these facts are entertaining and true, they ultimately overshadow the conversation we should be having about Blink Twice.
The opening scenes of this movie play out almost like a loose sequel to Pretty Woman.
Frida (Naomi Ackie) is a cocktail waitress struggling to pay her rent, when one night she and her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) ditch their uniforms, slip on the fancy dresses they smuggled into the party, and attempt to have a fun night amongst the VIP guests and pricey champagne.
The duo meet charming billionaire tech mogul Slater King (Channing Tatum), who Frida quickly feels a spark with. This means that she and Jess do not hesitate when he invites them to hop on his plane and head to his private tropical island for an indulgent bender of a vacation post-party, all with a group of his equally rich and wild friends.
At first, Slater's island paradise seems like the perfect location. It's a world of readily available delicious food, free-flowing champagne, top-shelf drugs, and an endless supply of white resort wear delivered to your room each day by the helpful — if somewhat suspicious — staff.
After being there for an undefinable amount of days, Frida makes a discovery about what is really going on within this island paradise, ensuring that she (and the viewer) will never again look at white clothing or free champagne with the same trusting eyes.
Much has been said about Tatum's role in Blink Twice, largely thanks to his headline-making romance with Kravitz, along with the fact that the actor, who is best known for more action or comedy-based roles, has stepped into a more darkly dramatic place with his involvement in this film.
It's true he deserves praise for his portrayal of Slater King. His performance perfectly walks the line between warmly charming and slowly unnerving as different parts of the plot unravel on screen.
Yet the real headline from this film is the performances of its leading ladies, most notably Naomi Ackie as Frida, and the way the film chooses to tell their stories.
The smartest thing Zoë Kravitz does as a filmmaker with Blink Twice is not to lean too heavily on special effects, jump scares, or gore when portraying the horror of the story. Instead, she often chooses to let the camera rest on Ackie's brilliantly emotive face, allowing the audience to feel the terror build through each moment of realisation, just by looking into her eyes.
The other standout from the movie is Adria Arjona, an actress previously known for her roles in TV shows such as Andor and movies such as Hit Man. Here, she steals the show on multiple occasions as Sarah, a reality TV contestant with sharp survival skills who is initially set up as Frida's rival in the quest for Slater's affections.
There are moments in Blink Twice that feel heavy-handed, as it delves into ideas of equality, patriarchy, and women's relationships with one another, but on the whole, this is an exceptional film debut from Kravitz. It's a movie best described as a more stylised Midsommar, or a more brutal Don't Worry Darling.
Listen to The Spill hosts review Blink Twice, along with the biggest pop culture stories of the day. Article continues below.
Blink Twice is peppered with a series of very graphic scenes, but the true horror comes from the layer of truth around them, rather than the excessive amounts of blood used. Ultimately, the film explores the horrors that women are asked to forget, the way they are trained to not trust their own instincts, and how being an easy-going 'cool girl' who sides with the boys is rewarded above all else.
In one very telling that a scene, a man who has just committed a series of unspeakable acts truly believes that he and the woman in question can still be pals, and it's just as chilling as some of the more violent and bloody moments.
Blink Twice manages to be both a difficult and truly entertaining watch, thanks to its carefully built world, strong visual storytelling elements, and a cast that includes Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Levon Hawke, and a remarkable performance by Geena Davis.
It's also a film that leaves you with an ending that is in no way clear-cut. At the conclusion of the screening I attended, half the women I spoke to found the final twist empowering, while others felt it was a little too flippant.
Blink Twice is a reminder that real people and the threat of what they could do will always be more horrifying than anything a supernatural villain could cook up, which is why it's always tempting to walk away and ask to forget.
Blink Twice is playing in cinemas from Thursday August 22, it is rated MA15+.
Laura Brodnik is Mamamia's Head of Entertainment and host of The Spill podcast. You can follow her on Instagram here for more entertainment news and recommendations.
Feature image: Universal Pictures Australia