Blink Twice may not exactly be crushing it at the box office, but first-time director Zoë Kravitz should still be on top of the world. Critics who've seen Blink Twice are calling her a “true talent” at the helm, with our own Blink Twice review praising her “keen eye.” This isn’t her first time being involved behind the camera, however, as she previously served as a writer and producer on Hulu’s short-lived, yet beloved show High Fidelity. Although it was cancelled years ago, the wound still stings, and Kravitz recently made mention of her frustration surrounding the streamer’s decision to pull the plug.
I sat down with Zoë Kravitz to talk about Blink Twice, but I couldn’t let the opportunity to gush about High Fidelity pass me by. When I expressed my desire for another season, she simply said:
I know, I know. Hulu, baby. Hulu.
Allow me to provide further context: High Fidelity was an incredible achievement. Any fan of Nick Hornby’s famous book or John Cusack’s iconic film would be skeptical about a television adaptation. Hell, even John Cusack himself figured they would “fuck it up.” But by some miracle, Zoë Kravitz and co. pulled it off. This isn’t a secret, as the show is critically well received just about any platform you can think of. Why do shows with a loyal audience and so much praise get cancelled? Who knows, but either way, it certainly beat the odds.
It seems that the secret ingredient in this equation was passion for the project and an understanding of the source material, as Kravitz explained:
I also love that film and that book a lot, so I went into that with a lot of care, because I’m also just a nerd for Nick Hornby and that whole world.
I do wonder if the critical success of High Fidelity led to Blink Twice, at the time titled Pussy Island, getting greenlit at MGM. After all, Zoë Kravitz and her writing partner E.T. Feigenbaum had been trying to get their film made since well before High Fidelity was in development. By the time they got the go-ahead, however, the Hulu show had come and gone. It's another testament to the strange way this industry works, and how projects can end up in development hell.
It’s worth noting that when Hulu announced the cancellation of High Fidelity, Zoë Kravitz responded graciously, and in a very on-brand fashion. Now she's on to bigger things and bigger screens!
To reiterate, Blink Twice is totally worth the watch, and promises great things for Kravitz’ future as a filmmaker. You can see it in theaters right now! As for my late friend High Fidelity, you can revisit the first and only season with a Hulu subscription.
