Is it just me, or is the 2024 movie schedule releasing some interesting pictures into the world? The first trailer for co-writer/director Zöe Kravitz’s Blink Twice has me asking that question a little more intently, as it caught me off guard with its debut. Also, it’s a trailer that starts with Channing Tatum declaring, “So…everybody’s dead,” and then proceeds to show some increasingly tension-filled moments of mystery and comedy. So yeah, that’s two things that’ll grab one's attention.
If I were to play a game of “Guess the Equation” with Blink Twice, I’d say it’s a mix of Glass Onion meets Bodies Bodies Bodies. The freshly released trailer from MGM looks like it’s ready to send up the rich and powerful, only with more of a sinister nature behind its murderous streak.
And our window into that madness is Frieda (Naomi Ackie) a waitress who's invited, along with her friend (Alia Shawkat) to the private island of professional Big Deal Slater King (Channing Tatum). I get that one shouldn't blindly accept offers of this sort, because stranger danger is very real. Also a tech bro's "private island" is the type of place you'd easily hear thrown out a bunch of times at a murder mystery improv.
But at the same time, if the man pictured below were to offer you that chance, wouldn't you take it?
Oh yeah. You may be saying to yourself, “I’m not going to the murder island” on a loop in your mind. But the moment Channing Tatum springs the question, you’re going to the murder island. The bright side is when you get there, folks like Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment, Adria Arjona, and Geena Davis are going to be there too! And they all seem to be having fun, so why shouldn't you?
On the not so good side of things, Blink Twice’s seemingly idyllic setting looks like it gets pretty dangerous pretty quickly. I mean, an entire knife goes missing, only to be found randomly hidden in a mirror? Someone’s taken their love of the game Clue one step too far. Unless you're talking about Zöe Kravitz and co-writer E.T. Feigenbaum; in which case, their admiration for a nice and twisty murder plot has served them rather well.
While Blink Twice’s original title was a much more ribald affair, I have to say that the new title is still pretty off-beat. It certainly landed as a surprise when I first saw this trailer, as before it was released to the internet, this reel was shown in front of early access screenings for Challengers. After having seen that film, I can safely say that there’s a healthy overlap between people who will probably love Zendaya’s movie and this twisted murder party.
Blink Twice if you need help, or if you’re looking forward to this upcoming horror movie’s August 23rd release date. On second thought, we’ll have to come up with a new signal for that second part; but don’t forget the first. It’ll be very important when the chips are down, and the knives are literally out.
