These two statements are at the heart of Blink Twice, the new film from first-time Director and actress Zoe Kravitz.  Each statement appears to have nothing to do with the other.  But this is billed as a psychological thriller, so you know to expect the unexpected.

Channing Tatum plays Slater King, a billionaire tech executive who seems remorseful about something, when we are shown a newsclip played at the start of the film.  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry”, he states, looking dead-on into the camera.  For what?  Well, we’re not sure.  He definitely sounds earnest.

Naomi Ackie plays Frida, a woman Slater meets at a private cocktail party.  She, and her close friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) are two of the servers at the closed event, which is being held by King Tech, Slater’s firm.  After serving the guests, they change into cocktail attire and sidle their way into the private fete.  Frida can’t keep her eyes off King, and Jess keeps telling her he’s out of her league, that he’d never see her. 

But, of course, this is a movie, so the two must somehow meet. Whether it’s accidentally or on purpose, Frida ends up sprawled on the floor, bringing the room to silence.  And who appears to lift her off her feet?  Her Prince Charming.  He even hands her back her lost shoe.  He appears to be instantly smitten, never leaving her side.  As the evening progresses, his handlers tell him he and his entourage have to leave to catch the ride to the private jet to get to his private island.   Frida smiles and wishes him well, as he walks away.  And then he turns and invites both she and Jess along for an impromptu vaca.  Of course they accept.

Once they arrive with the rest of the guests, who all seem to already know each other, the women find the closets and drawers of their rooms stocked with an assortment of beach/lounge/dinnerwear.  While Frida is in her suite, a woman enters, looks at her, and in broken English says something that sounds like “Red Robin”.  And smiles.   

And the island festivities begin.  Just before Frida makes her way out to the dinner table, she spritzes her body with the intriguing, scented decanter found in the bathroom.  King tells her he loves how she smells, so she makes sure to use plenty of the scent.

Over the course of the evening, as the days flow into each other in a series of marijuana and MDMA laced hours, King repeatedly questions Frida, “Are you having a good time?”   He asks about the scar next to her eye, but she doesn’t seem to remember how it got there.  King tells her “Forgetting is a gift.”  

Soon, Jess starts to feel that something is wrong.  Every night feels hazy, as if she's lost some time.  She tells Frida that they should leave, that there's something wrong with the island, with the whole scenario.  Frida refuses, telling Jess that, for the first time, she feels 'seen' by someone.  

Well, we know things are going to go downhill from there.  Once Jess is awakened to the real evil on the private island, that's when the hell for the women really begins.  I don't recall ever seeing Tatum this evil, and it's startling how much he seems to enjoy it.

Blink Twice is definitely one step further along the Me Too road.  It's full of women's empowerment, which begins in the last third of the film, when the women finally stop acting against each other's interests and take the reins into their own hands. Though Blink Twice is about violent mysoginy, for a variety of reasons it reminded me of Antebellum, a movie about the horrors of slavery.  In both, the 'guests' are unwilling slaves. In both, nothing is as it seems.  In both, well, I'll leave that for you to find out.

Lisa Blanck is the Associate Editor / Movie Reviewer for In Focus-Magazine.com and is a member of the Critics Association of Central Florida.  Her background includes 30+ years of digital editing for NBC and CBS News affiliates.  She also edits national promotional spots for Matter Of Fact, the #1 nationally syndicated news & information program.  For 30+ years she has covered the Florida Film Festival & the World Peace Film Festival, and has additional award-winning experience in advertising, marketing, promotions and live special events with MTV Networks.