Zoë Kravitz is known for her role as Catwoman in "The Batman" – as well as for being the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, said Nicholas Barber on BBC Culture. But on the basis of her work on this film, I think she could become even better known as a writer-director.
A "mind-bending black comedy thriller", "Blink Twice" stars the British actress Naomi Ackie as young woman named Frida who finds herself waitressing at an event hosted by a tech billionaire (Channing Tatum). When he invites her and her best friend (Alia Shawkat) to visit his private island, "they can hardly believe their luck" and are soon tucking into the fine wines and designer drugs that are provided by the billionaire; but, as the days and nights blur into "one indulgent haze", events begin to turn darker.
Like a number of recent films about the hedonistic rich ("Triangle of Sadness", "Saltburn") the film gets off to an "intriguing and wickedly funny start", before losing its way as "the concepts overwhelm the plot". Still, it's "stylish and savage", and evidently the work of a "skilled writer-director", rather than just an actress who's "having a go at directing".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
I was pleasantly surprised, said Larushka Ivan-Zadeh in the Daily Mail. "Kravitz mixes up a provocative #MeToo cocktail" of cancel culture, forgiveness, female solidarity and more, "and does so in a way that is brilliantly entertaining and wildly funny". Meanwhile, Tatum (her real life fiancé) turns in a "storming" performance: he hasn't acted this well in a decade.
There's so much going on in "Blink Twice", viewers may feel the need for "a lie-down in a dark room" afterwards, said Donald Clarke in The Irish Times. But while it's a "glossy package", there's "not quite enough inside".
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Crossword: October 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
6 well-crafted log homesFeature Featuring a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace in Montana and a Tulikivi stove in New York
-
Film reviews: A House of Dynamite, After the Hunt, and It Was Just an AccidentFeature A nuclear missile bears down on a U.S. city, a sexual misconduct allegation rocks an elite university campus, and a victim of government terror pursues vengeance
-
Book reviews: ‘Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife’ and ‘Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong With Baseball and How to Fix It’Feature Gertrude Stein’s untold story and Jane Leavy’s playbook on how to save baseball
-
Rachel Ruysch: Nature Into ArtFeature Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through Dec. 7
-
Music reviews: Olivia Dean, Madi Diaz, and Hannah FrancesFeature “The Art of Loving,” “Fatal Optimist,” and “Nested in Tangles”
-
Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
-
Ready for the apocalypseFeature As anxiety rises about the state of the world, the ranks of preppers are growing—and changing.
