‘Genuinely unforgettable’: Psychological thriller scores for debut director Zoe Kravitz

Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz turn up the levels of mysterious malevolence in thought-provoking psychological thriller, writes Leigh Paatsch.

On the big screen this week there’s a thought-provoking psychological thriller, a homegrown tear-jerker, and a star-driven action romp.

BLINK TWICE (MA15+)

Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum in director Zoe Kravitz's Blink Twice. Picture: Carlos Somonte/Amazon

Director: Zoe Kravitz (feature debut)

Starring: Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, Christian Slater

Rating: ★★★★

Keep your eyes open … and your guard up.

“I’m having a great time, but I also have this feeling that I’m like … not.”

So says one slightly disoriented character in Blink Twice, a truly unorthodox and genuinely unforgettable new psychological thriller.

The young woman in question is correct to identify the not-quite-right vibe slithering around her during what seems like the ultimate tropical vacation fantasy.

However, putting a name, reason or label to the various airs of unease wafting through the fragrant island paradise in which she finds herself … well, that’s not going to be a mystery to be solved all that easily.

The consistent unreliability of first impressions, second guesses and third-party conspiracy theories is often exploited masterfully by Blink Twice and its rookie writer-director Zoe Kravitz.

Particularly in the first two acts of the movie, where the underlying motives of overachieving tech-bro zillionaire Slater King (played by Channing Tatum) remain open to dispute.

Mr King has the money, the mystique and the muscle definition to persuade anyone to do just about anything.

What can go wrong when a tech-bro zillionaire packs his private jet with a select group of women he barely knows to join his regular all-male entourage for a lavish, all expenses-paid vacay on his very own island? Picture: Amazon MGM

Which is why he is able to impulsively pack his private jet with a select group of women he barely knows to join his regular all-male entourage for a lavish, all expenses-paid vacay on his very own island.

It is both King’s endless splashing of cash and calculated releases of charm that persuades the otherwise-sensible Frida (an excellent Naomi Ackie) to ditch her dead-end waitressing job and join the party, no questions asked.

However, it is when the time finally comes for Frida to ask a question or two that Blink Twice finally shows its true and troubling colours.

Naomi Ackie is excellent as Frida. Picture: Carlos Somont/Amazon

In the interests of keeping everything spoiler-free, let’s not go down the road of what it seems like Frida and her fairweather friends might possibly discover about their high-earning, hard-partying host.

Let’s just say that the old maxim of “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” stands no chance of ringing true here.

Kravitz’s skilful manipulation of mood – moving from Insta-fabulous merrymaking to rising levels of mysterious malevolence with each passing evening – is wielded as a weapon that hits very hard when least expected.

If you’re in any way intrigued by the idea of being lured into a grey area of devious storytelling separating the hit TV series The White Lotus from Jordan Peele’s seminal cinema-chiller Get Out, then you really should be buying a ticket ASAP.

Blink Twice is in cinemas now

TAKE MY HAND (M)

Adam Demos and Radha Mitchell in Take My Hand.

Rating: **1/2

General release

What we have here is a nice movie about decent people, at once living with and railing against the ravages of a terrible disease. While we have seen this kind of production so many times before, it is not reason enough to write off Take My Hand as some kind of formulaic folly. The saving grace here is a sincere and relatable mapping of the devastating effects just one case of multiple sclerosis can have on several lives.

It also helps that the lead performance of Radha Mitchell as Laura – an Australian woman suddenly diagnosed with MS while pursuing a career and raising a family in England – keeps the viewer connected and invested in a journey which will only be heading in one direction. (Anything resembling a cure for the ruthless manner in which MS attacks the central nervous system is still a long way off.)

To be honest, some of the writing and a sizeable percentage of the support cast are not always up to the job. However, the production remains consistent with both its messaging, and a modest ability to move its audience (especially when we catch a glimpse of the remarkable woman whose story inspired Take My Hand during the closing credits).

THE UNION (M)

Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg in The Union. Picture: Laura Radford/Netflix

Rating: ***

Now streaming on Netflix

There has been too little of Halle Berry in movies for too long now. And when push comes to shove, she’s too good to be knocking around in a movie like The Union, a mid-budget, low-concept action-romance flick co-starring her longtime buddy Mark Wahlberg. Nevertheless, Berry’s classy charisma – and her obvious chemistry with Wahlberg – elevates The Union to a slightly higher place than it should be landing.

The snappy charm of Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry as a screen pairing never quite wears off. Picture: Laura Radford/Netflix

Berry plays Roxanne, a feisty field agent for a secret crime-fighting operation that uses blue-collar workers as its principal camouflage. After a dangerous overseas job results in the death of her trusted partner, Roxanne is forced to fill the void quickly by blooding a new recruit. Enter Mike (Wahlberg), a simple construction worker who used to be Roxanne’s high-school sweetheart. Now she has a fortnight to polish this rough diamond into a smooth operator capable of handling a very nuanced life-or-death assignment.

As ultimately as forgettable as this fare proves to be, the action set pieces are strong, the various changes in locale are attractive, and the snappy charm of Beery and Wahlberg as a screen pairing never quite wears off.

Originally published as ‘Genuinely unforgettable’: Psychological thriller scores for debut director Zoe Kravitz