Channing Tatum charms and menaces in the bold and suspenseful thriller ‘Blink Twice’

Savvy movie goers know a rich man’s invitation to party with him on his private island should be considered a red flag rather than a red carpet.
Such recent films as “The Menu” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” prove the cautionary assertion. So, too, does the new island excursion “Blink Twice,” a bracing mystery thriller that doubles as a #MeToo horror movie. As the title suggests, it demands close attention because appearances may deceive.
We know going in that something’s going on; the trick is keeping us guessing exactly what that is. Terrific lead performances by Naomi Ackie (who played the title pop star in “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody”) and Channing Tatum (of “Magic Mike” renown) help maintain the suspense.
“Blink Twice” is the bold feature directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz, who recently played Catwoman in “The Batman.” Her film has a similar feline guile to it: appealing on the surface but with claws hidden, ready to strike.
The movie begins like a rom-com with a humorous meet-cute. Working gal Frida (Ackie) and her BFF and roomie Jess (Alia Shawkat) are toiling as servers at a fundraising gala hosted by tech billionaire Slater King (Tatum).
Frida and Jess manage to insinuate themselves into Slater’s charmed and charming presence. He responds by inviting them to his remote private island, where he, his band of bros and a gaggle of young women will be living the life fantastic.
Who could turn down an offer like that? Frida and Jess go for it, although they might have paid more attention to Slater’s public apologies, heard early in the film, for undisclosed indiscretions.
“I’m just trying to do better,” Slater says, adding that he’s seeing a “trauma therapist” in an effort to improve himself.
He seems to be the perfect host on the island, constantly asking, “Are you having a good time?” He also likes to preach about the virtue of forgetting. Slater’s boyish good looks and sincere manner (not to mention Tatum’s star charisma) make his contrition and concern for his guests believable.
Everybody certainly seems to be enjoying themselves, despite the suspicious emphasis on secrecy and conformity: cellphones must be surrendered on arrival, photos taken are all hard-to-copy Polaroids, and everyone is encouraged to wear the white swim attire and clothes provided in their rooms, as if attending the coolest of toga parties.
Frida and Jess may be impetuous but they’re not naive. They wonder if all this champagne-and-canapés luxury comes with a catch. The other young women in their midst, played by Trew Mullen, Liz Caribel, and Adria Arjona, the last a veteran of a “Survivor” show, seem reassuringly unruffled by their collective good fortune, even after a reveller goes missing.
Other mysteries gradually emerge. Why do the island’s staff seem so strange? The resort’s housekeeper (María Elena Olivares), for example, is preoccupied with snakes and has a habit of popping up unannounced.
And what’s with the eerie soundscape by composer Chanda Dancy, and the myopic close-ups by cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra?
They insist something strange — and possibly awful — is going on. So do the rapid edits that jarringly explicate the “Blink Twice” title.
And check out Kravitz’s casting for Slater’s main bros, actors who hail from films and/or TV series known for their dark and trippy takes on reality: Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”), Christian Slater (“Very Bad Things”), Haley Joel Osment (“A.I. Artificial Intelligence”) and Simon Rex (“Red Rocket”).
Also in the cast, playing Slater’s indulgent sister, is Geena Davis, one of the feminist heroes of “Thelma & Louise.” Her presence hints at the Cassandra figure of Greek mythology — or maybe not.
That’s the beauty of “Blink Twice,” which Kravitz co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum (TV’s “High Fidelity”).
Even though we know something is afoot, we rarely feel certain in our stance and never fully understand what we just saw. The mechanics of the plot may be a little wonky, but the truth about what’s going on is as close as the nearest headlines.
We’re filled with unease knowing that it’s something controlled by men and not good for women, a feeling all too common in these #MeToo times.