*Content Warning*
To wrap up my summer, I wanted to consume a film that would not only make me Blink Once, but Blink Twice. Back in mid-June, I saw the trailer of Blink Twice which captivated me. It was released in theaters on August 23, 2024, starring Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie as the main protagonists of the film directed by Zoe Kravitz.
If you’re looking for a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and keep the psychological adrenaline running through your body, then this film is the one for you. This film almost felt like a story of women empowerment, as we see the downfall of the great Tech “Slater King” due to his own abuses by the women he abused. The power dynamics, the thrill, the variety of classes, women, and, nonetheless, the feminine empowerment, not to mention the trauma encaptivated in this 1 hour and 42-minute spectacle, helped it earn 17.3 million dollars at the box office.
From Frida’s lens, the protagonist, we see the reflection of a modern-day woman who is interested in the luxurious lifestyle of influencers and the social media facade. She stars in the film as a struggling working-class black woman who works as a cocktail waitress and as a nail artist. Frida has the feminine support of her best friend, Jess, who is also a waitress, and follows her along in her film. Slater King is Frida’s influencer crush; she will do anything to meet him. Dreams do come true as we see Frida meet the grand Slater King, a tech billionaire and affluent white man. In this film, it almost feels too good to be true. Frida meets King at a cocktail party when she accidentally slips and breaks her heel. At the beginning of the film, it feels as if she has met her “King” Charming, with Cinderella being rescued from the oppressive, lower-class world of the stepmother.
Frida has a romantic connection with Slater King. Her and Jess are instantly captivated by the wealth and charm of King. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is offered to them, a ticket to luxury, to Slater Kings’ island. How do you say no to a free vacation for unlimited time, chef-catered 3-course meals, endless drugs, alcohol, partying, and clothing at the cost of your simple company? A contemporary Epstein Island is what this wondrous scene paints. Remember when I said things were too good to be true?
At the beginning of the film, we see Frida painting a reptile on her nails, and the female models on the island mocking her saying how cute her nails are, in a sarcastic way. On the island we see an Asian housekeeper picking up reptiles around the island, and looking at Frida repeating “Red rabbit, red rabbit.” When Jess goes missing, Frida starts to sense something is wrong. Frida and the other girls connect the dots, trying to piece together how their days blur together—having fun, consuming drugs daily, running at night, and then waking up the next day only to forget everything as they try to figure it all out again. The island’s nature and scents are deeply considered and taken to use by the Asian housekeeper. The color red of the perfume, the red of the blood, and the red rabbit are all signs of fire and danger. The “perfumes” worn by the women daily were scents used purposely so they could forget... along with the drops of drugs in their daily smoothies and food. The women would lose memory and consciousness daily, and when night came the terror would occur. The beautiful human dolls would go on nightly runs, and they would be sexually abused and tied down by these men, it was a perverse game to these men. They were like captivated dolls, raped daily, and drugged up with no return home on this island, with no access to their phones. If the women were to fight back or gain memory, they were killed and disappeared.
Slater King in the film would use the phrase “you do not forgive but should forget.” What he and his friends did was both unforgivable and unforgettable. Frida, along with the other women, fought to kill all the men, driven by seduction and anger whenever memories of the abuse resurfaced.
The red rabbit was a flashback and a nickname for Frida as she had been on the island before and had the design of red rabbits on her nails as nail art. Frida then decides not to kill Slater King but to use her traumatic endgame as an advantage. She indeed uses his phrase of “forgetting not forgiving.” When the abusers, the rich friends of Slater King, and his friends all die off, she decides to save him, only herself and the other friend standing.
The film ends with Frida playing the same mind games with him, she drugs and controls him with drops not “forgiving but forgetting” and becoming his wife along with heir to his company and wealth. This film kept me on the edge of my seat. It was the perfect film, with an astonishing ending. She decided not to kill Slater King but save him!
She wanted him to endure his pain, and it was like a revenge tale. She got her power back, she became the heir, she didn’t forget but tried to forgive. Major shocker, YES, I expected Frida to have left Slater King to burn to death, but she ended up using him to her advantage. It was very traumatic, but empowering…
Blink Once, Blink Twice watching this film endured with power, wealth, technology, race, gender, and a flashy ending.
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