by This article contains SPOILERS of Blink Twice.
This article contains talks of abuse and SA.
Blink Twice is a gripping psychological thriller and the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz. It follows Frida (Naomi Ackie), who, alongside other women, is invited to a luxurious island by Slater King (Channing Tatum) and his business partners. Initially, the women are offered a relaxing and lavish time on the Island, filled with alcohol, drugs, food, sunshine, and a refreshing pool. But things turn dark when Frida’s friend Jess (Alia Shawkat)disappears after a snake bite. Trying to find her friend and failing at it, Frida discovers that the perfume given to the women contains a poison designed to wipe their memories, hiding the men’s abusive actions.
Frida finds out snake venom makes her recover her memory. She then tells the other women to drink it and regain their memories. They soon realize they’ve been repeatedly abused, and their memories have been erased each time they use the perfume. The women get together to fight back, leading to a bloody confrontation with their abusers. The film ends with a twist, as Frida takes control by not killing Slater but by using the poison to manipulate him into submission, marrying him, and becoming the head of his company in the process.
Blink Twice dives deep into themes of trauma, abuse, the desire for control and power, survival, and revenge, and it explores how memory can be weaponized. The scariest part of this film is its resemblance to reality. In an era where abuse scandals in Hollywood and other industries are continuously surfacing. I remember when I used to watch films about ghosts, zombies, or any other scary movie, and as soon as I felt fear, I would tell myself –Don’t worry, this isn’t real-. But what do you say to yourself when reality is more disturbing than a film? One month after Blink Twice’s release; rapper, producer, composer, and businessman, Sean Combs, also known as P-Diddy, was arrested in New York after his ex-wife filed a lawsuit against him for abuse. Two weeks later, he was denied bail and authorities confiscated 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant from his house. Charges against him could indicate him as a leader of a “criminal enterprise”, involving arson, forced labor, kidnapping, sex trafficking, physical abuse, sexual abuse, bribery, and obstruction of justice. A story like other scandals in the entertainment industry.
The question arises: Is Blink Twice critiquing something we already know, or is it sounding the alarm about ongoing abuse in elite circles?
Not long before P-Diddy’s lawsuit and arrest, Harvey Weinstein, a once-powerful Hollywood producer, faced numerous allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and rape that came to light in October 2017. More than 80 women and actresses like Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Angelina Jolie, accused Weinstein of various forms of misconduct. The scandal played a canonic role in the #MeToo movement, which shed light on sexual harassment and abuse across various industries.
Shortly after Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy financier who was convicted of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors. His case involved a complex network of abuse and exploitation. He was initially accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking of minors in 2008, yet was granted a plea deal, serving 13 months in prison. Eleven years later, Epstein was arrested again on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York.
This goes without mentioning other cases of men in positions of power abusing it, like R. Kelly or the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal.
"Art is inherently evaluative. It exhibits attitudes, beliefs, likes, dislikes, hopes, and fears"
-Frederick M. Dolan
What is the point of releasing a film like this right after the exposure of abuse in several industries?
Art, inevitably and unconsciously, reflects the social-political climate of its time. Whether we like it or not, the artist’s perspective will always be influenced by the environment he or she is surrounded by. It is also no coincidence the fact that Zoë Kravitz is a famous actress in Hollywood, an industry with scandalous people, and many of them have been under investigation or convicted for abuse. Zoë Kravitz even said in an interview with CgoMovies –The concept came from my experience of being a woman in many powerful spaces around powerful people, powerful men, and wanting to [kind of] express what it feels to be in that position-. Is art, inherently, political? I came across a great reflection online, by Frederick M. Dolan, a professor at UC Berkeley, who answered the question:
“No. But art is inherently evaluative. It exhibits attitudes, tastes, beliefs, likes, dislikes, hopes, and fears. Moreover, it tends to influence people, to inform, and sometimes shape the attitudes and beliefs of those who encounter it. For these reasons, art is of political interest in the sense that the question of whether and how it should be regulated is a legitimate political issue”.
I couldn’t agree more and based on that; I don’t think the film is trying to tell us something new. The public has known about abuse of power by several individuals in the elites, especially the artistic ones, for years now. If we are talking about subliminal messaging trying to warn us about abuse from those in power, we could talk about Eyes Wide Shut as it was released in 1999. However, this movie seems like it’s trying to remind us of something before we forget it. With all the talk about Diddy going on, it seems like people have forgotten about the abuse of many other men in the industry.
Not only is this film trying to engrave those facts, so we never forget, but I think it is also trying to provide some new significance to what it means to be a victim. In the end, Sarah (Adria Arjona) kills her abuser while Frida drugs and abuses Slater King back as a way of vengeance, as well as an opportunity to improve her position in society.
The film also reminds us that abuse is not only in the artistic industry, but in the Tech Industry too. Slater King is a Tech Giant, and the choice to portray him as a “finance bro” who abuses women with his so-called “buddies” is another way of saying: “Look, it’s not only happening in the artistic realm, but everywhere”. Unfortunately, many men, not only those in positions of power, drug and abuse women. It only takes reading statistics, watching the news, reading testimonies of victims, or even watching films like Promising Young Woman (2020) to acknowledge this fact.
Several men in positions of power don’t even have to be arrested with charges of abuse to see how inappropriate their behavior is. For example, Tech Giant, Elon Musk, wrote on X –Fine Taylor… you win… I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life-. After she had made public her endorsement for Kamala Harris. Or any of the comments Donald Trump openly said about many women.
"Repeated exposure to these scenes could desensitize audiences, normalizing the violence in ways we don't fully realize".
Is Blink Twice’s portrayal of abuse immoral?
I’ve read comments saying the movie is trying to follow the basic plot of the “abusive male villain”. However, I don’t think you can call a film “basic” for portraying an abusive man as the villain when that storyline is not only repeated in fiction but in real life. It’s almost as if as soon as an investigation is concluded, another one is starting. I’ve also read backlash on this film regarding a tendency in the Film Industry to normalize abusive scenes towards women and how problematic it is. I agree with that, and it is probably related to films trying to show “blood and gore”. Blink Twice is a thriller, perhaps creators are trying to add bloody scenes as part of the genre. Either way, there must be a balance, and films and TV series should stop showing scenes of rape.
Showing scenes of rape is a problem because after doing it frequently, audiences will normalize them and get used to them. If we put it into perspective, films that were considered part of the Horror genre in the 1960s are not even scary today because violent acts were cut out. For example, in Psycho (1960) scenes mainly showed the knife, viewers never saw Marion getting stabbed. That is also why 20 years later and then 40 years later, The Shining (1980) and Kill Bill (2003) were so controversial because they showed levels of blood and violence never seen before. There has been an increase in normalizing violence on screen, for example, the bloodiest and most difficult-to-digest scenes from our current times are in The Boys. In a way, the level of violence shown has increased because audiences have gotten used to it.
While I understand blood, cutting off a limb, a broken bone, a gunshot, or a stabbing scene are part of a new narration style, rape should never be normalized. Repeated exposure to these scenes could desensitize audiences, normalizing the violence in ways we don’t fully realize. This proneness to show women being raped on screen and on stage must stop. It will only get more explicit with time. Rape is a global issue, many people continue surviving it, and thousands of abusers go through life without facing consequences. If it is a serious issue that needs resolution in the real world, why does the fictional world strive to normalize it? There are other ways in which “blood and gore” can be shown to reach the “horrific or thrilling” quota.
What does the end mean?
I think Sarah killing her abuser and getting away from all of that is a way of showing women can fight back and stand up for themselves. Being a victim doesn’t mean it’s your fault or that you can’t regain your strength. Frida’s choice at the end of the film satisfies the audience’s desire for revenge, especially after rooting for the women. I think Frida marries to manipulate Slater King back for revenge and personal gain. She wanted to quit her waiting job for a long time and be wealthy. In the first scenes of the film, she is scrolling through social media, almost admiring Slater King and the elite. Her chances of reaching that position were slim unless she managed to get a foot in the door. In the end, she turned the tables on Slater King, taking control and stopping him from abusing any other women.
Zoë Kravitz said it herself; it is an open ending. What do you think? Is it about redefining what it means to be a victim and reclaiming what you lost, or is it a critique of the cycle of abuse?
