Actor Zoë Kravitz made her directorial debut with “Blink Twice,” a heavy psychological thriller that cleverly explores money, power and influence. The production has led to discourse about its dark subject matter, rooted in real-life events.
“Blink Twice”’ is raw and explicit. Kravitz didn’t shy away from presenting an unfiltered pragmatic depiction of influential people in the film.
The plot revolves around tech billionaire Slater King, played by Channing Tatum, who invites a cocktail waitress, Frida and her friend Jess, played by Naomi Ackie and Alia Shawkat to his private island for a getaway. As one night gradually turns into days on end, their stay on the island becomes more unsettling.
After an unspecified number of days filled with partying, drugs and meticulously placed luxury items like dresses and perfumes, Frida grows tense after she realizes Jess went missing from the island. More concerningly, no one, especially the other women, seems to remember Jess.
This takes Frida on a search throughout the island where she and ex-reality TV star Sarah, played by Adria Arjona, learn that they have no memory of their previous nights. What follows builds out Kravitz’s story.
With sparse help from the island’s staff, Frida and Sarah take and distribute an anecdote of sorts to undo the memory loss caused by the perfumes they were given, recalling sexually violent encounters they had unknowingly experienced since their arrival.
Through a graphic display of flashbacks, they conclude they were victimized and misled during this “vacation.”
Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. and the official “Blink Twice” social media accounts released a trigger warning statement ahead of the film’s debut, stating that the film would depict sexual violence.
This has reopened a conversation about censorship and content warnings. More specifically, it begs the question of whether trigger warnings help people to assess what they might witness. If so, whose responsibility is it to determine how much reality or rawness is too much on the silver screen?
Dr. James M. Ballard III, a clinical psychologist and professor of entertainment psychology at Howard University, spoke about how censors can affect artists.
“We ought to be able to create freely, as once limitations are placed, they are hard to remove and artists tend to have messages that reflect their concerns for society,” he said.
Despite content warnings, a particular scene surprised some viewers. On TikTok, where movie news tends to spread quickly, reactions have been mixed. Some users praise Kravitz for her directorial style and depth of storytelling, while others advise audiences to approach the movie cautiously.
This internet discourse turned away people like Chandler Pope, a senior film and television production major and theater arts minor, who knew “Blink Twice” wasn’t going to be on their watchlist.
“I saw people talking about it on TikTok and they were really upset about the trigger warning not being specific enough and how graphic the movie was,” she said. “Hearing that, I was like, ‘Okay. Confirmed. Not for me.’”
After hearing the conversations, watching the trailer and assessing the rating of the film, Pope believes the film’s production team took the required steps to inform viewers of what was in store.
“Not everyone had the media literacy to recognize what it was going to be about,” she said. “I think it seems like people thought it wouldn’t be so realistic, maybe people were expecting a more ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ strange, dystopian vibe. Or maybe just looking for [the violence] to be more implied?”
Some arguments claim that depicting violence in the media is meant to make people uncomfortable and confront the truths of society.
However, in a medium like film, where explicit and harsh truths are often praised, is it fair to suggest that filmmakers should completely shy away from being “graphic” even when it serves the story? Furthermore, is the demand for excluding explicit scenes a form of censorship, especially when precautions like content warnings are in place?
In the case of “Blink Twice,” hundreds took to social media to express their concerns. Some felt the depiction of violence was too realistic, others worried it might desensitize viewers to violence, and some said the trigger warning didn’t specify the graphic portrayal of sexual violence against women.
“I happen to think that the movies that are most impressive to me can drive their narrative without being graphic, they can still be effective by relying on sound, lighting, and tension. I hate to police art, but I do happen to believe that when you can imply, there are ways to be creative,” Pope said.
This is not to say that the graphic nature of “Blink Twice” takes away from its creativity. The scenes were not only necessary to the plot but added a chilling segment that amplified the sequence of events.
Plus, there is a sense of mystery and tension that drives the story forward and makes it an interesting watch with its trendy soundtrack, stimulating design and the cast’s ability to nail the complexity of their character’s circumstances.
However, many of these things were overshadowed by what circulated after its release. Dr. Ballard noted that sometimes the failure to be intentional with displays of violence can take away from the artist’s message.
“If I am triggered by any part of the art then I may miss the overall intended meaning. But I still say as a person and an artist, it is our choice as to whether or not we want to participate in [viewing] that,” Dr. Ballard said.
At its core, the film makes a captivating point about trauma and the psychological difference between forgiving and forgetting and that alone deserves high praise. When the time came, Kravitz chose to put female solidarity on a pedestal, and the hope is that audiences walk away with that in mind.
Beyond being a conversation starter, “Blink Twice” deserves its moment in the spotlight. At the same time, it helps move the needle of responsibility on creators to be intentional with their choices. Both creators and consumers need to take accountability. It’s essential to understand one’s limits and to approach producing films like this with sensitivity.
Copy edited by Anijah Franklin
