Blink Twice (Zoë Kravitz, 2024)

On this episode, Matthew and Stacey are joined by Rosette Simityan, a fellow UC Davis colleague in the English Department. Join us as we talk about Zoë Kravitz's 2024 psychological thriller, Blink Twice, which stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail server, and Channing Tatum as Slater King, a tech CEO who invites Frida and her friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), to his private island. Once there, Frida and Jess start to realize that they and the other women there are trapped in a horrific cycle of brutal abuse at the hands of Slater and his invited male guests. Together we discuss how the film engages with new directions in the purchase of horror and depictions of graphic violence, as well as how racial difference is imagined in the context of memory and experience.

Content warning: Blink Twice contains graphic depictions of sexual violence, abuse, and assault, which may be upsetting for some of our listeners to hear. Please listen with discretion if conversations around these themes might be particularly triggering or disturbing to you.

Film: Blink Twice (Zoë Kravitz, 2024)
Intro Music: “The Army of You” (Library of Congress Free Music Archive)
Outro Music: “Late Night Indigo” (written and performed by Stacey Baran)

Fear of the Dark is a film podcast about race and horror, hosted by Matthew Vernon and Stacey Baran. Episode edited and mastered by Stacey Baran.