The Ending Of Blink Twice Explained

It’s truly captivating to witness Zoe Kravitz’s evolution as an artist. Her acting talents are undeniable, from her exceptional performances in “The Batman” and the “High Fidelity” series to her past roles that we’ve admired. Yet, many can act, but not everyone makes a great director. Initially, it was uncertain if Kravitz’s directorial debut, “Blink Twice,” would match her acting prowess. However, early indications suggest that she has a promising future behind the camera.

In our assessment of the movie “Blink Twice,” we commended its powerful satire and Kravitz’s skillful direction. Although it may not be perfect, this film has a strong potential to stand out as one of the most impressive directorial debuts by an actor. From a simple plot involving a wealthy CEO’s private island where men can enact their darkest desires, Kravitz masterfully uncovers multiple layers of meaning.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, “Blink Twice” is the kind of film that lingers in your thoughts for days, as you unravel its intricate hints, subtle insinuations, and cleverly concealed secrets woven throughout the plot. Unlike many movies with convoluted endings, this one doesn’t confuse you; instead, it leaves you yearning for more – a testament to its masterful storytelling. If you’re still grappling with the mind-bending finale of “Blink Twice”, fear not! We’re here to help you decipher the film’s surprising climax and make sense of the chaos that unfolds in those final moments.

What you need to remember about the plot of Blink Twice

In the opening scene of “Blink Twice”, we meet Frida (Naomi Ackie), who harbors a strong fascination towards tech CEO Slater King (Channing Tatum). Frida works as a waitress at an event venue, and she recalls a past encounter a year ago when Slater had complimented her nail polish. With Slater returning for the annual conference at the same venue, Frida formulates a strategy to possibly reconnect with him.

During the event, Frida and her friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), slip into formal attire and secretly make their way into the party. Fate seemed to be on their side as Frida bumped into Slater once more, sparking a connection between them. By the time the event wrapped up, Slater invited Frida and Jess to join him and his friends for a few days at his private island. Overjoyed, the duo accepted the offer and found themselves enjoying a luxurious, complimentary tropical getaway.

Frida and Jess initially enjoy living the high life with fine cuisine, recreational substances, and Slater’s companionship. At first glance, it appears idyllic, but as time passes, a sense of unease grows within them. When Jess disappears, Frida comes to understand that she’s found herself in a precarious predicament.

What happened at the end of Blink Twice

With assistance from Sarah (Adria Arjona), another woman brought to the island by Slater’s acquaintances, Frida uncovers a chilling secret. The men, including Slater, have been exploiting women by using a unique perfume containing an indigenous flower named desideria. This fragrance causes the women to lose their memories, allowing the men to sexually abuse them each night without consequence. However, when Jess is bitten by one of the island’s venomous snakes, the venom disrupts the desideria’s effect, causing Jess to remember everything that transpired. Unfortunately, with her memory intact and unable to be erased again, Slater takes Jess’s life to preserve the secret.

Frida Kahn and Sarah uncover a source of snake venom, which they employ to assist themselves and other women on the island in recovering their lost memories. However, this discovery triggers a violent uprising among the women who begin assaulting Slater and his companions. By the conclusion of the conflict, only Frida, Sarah, and Slater survive. Nevertheless, Frida has devised a plan to ensure her and Sarah’s safe escape from the island. She secretly adds some of the desideria elixir to Slater’s vaporizer, and when he inhales it, all recollections of the fight vanish from his memory.

Towards the closing scenes of the film, we leap ahead a year straight to Slater’s company’s following annual conference. Both Frida and Slater are present, and an interesting turn of events has taken place – Frida is now the CEO of the company. Over time, she’s been surreptitiously administering desideria to Slater, a move that appears to have given her command over his life.

What’s the real meaning of the title?

Titled “Blink Twice,” this movie title is quite intriguing as it doesn’t disclose any plot details but effectively sets an eerie mood throughout the film. Early in the story, we encounter Frida and Slater, and their dialogue includes the phrase “blink twice.” Interestingly, Slater’s therapist Rich (played by Kyle MacLachlan) blinks twice during a conversation with Frida. This could be interpreted as a genuine warning given the context. However, considering Rich’s role in creating desideria, his response to Frida’s joke feels more like a chilling taunt rather than a casual gesture.

In the film, it’s plausible that the title originated from a key scene due to an initial plan by director Zoe Kravitz for a completely different title. At the inception of her idea for this narrative, she named it “Island of Blank Stares” or “P Island.” The movie almost retained this title until its release, but the studio requested a change as it wasn’t well-received during testing. Kravitz explained to Esquire that “the people who were most offended were women,” which suggests her original title would have been more fitting for the story’s message. However, the intriguing title “Blink Twice” seems to align better with the movie’s complex themes.

What happened the first time Frida went to the island?

In the thriller “Blink Twice,” one of the major surprises comes when it’s disclosed that Frida had previously visited Slater’s island. Towards the film’s violent climax, Slater informs Frida that she’d been there before, expressing his astonishment at how effectively the desideria affected her. At this point, Frida starts connecting some dots: María Elena Olivares, Slater’s maid, had been saying “red rabbit” to her because she’d sported red rabbits on her fingernails the previous year. Additionally, Vic (played by Christian Slater) is missing a finger due to an altercation with Frida where she bit it off, which also left her with a scar on her temple.

From my gaming perspective, having been to that island myself before carries a heavy burden. When Rich gives me that double-wink at the conference, it’s clear he knows I’ve endured a brutal attack there, and likely will again. It also turns out that Slater wasn’t entirely dishonest when he calls me his best friend towards the movie’s end. The first time I stepped foot on that island, Slater saw how the desideria affected me uniquely, and let me stay to test if the effects could last an entire year. It seems Slater is fixated on the concept of forgetting. Each piece of my past he helps me erase only strengthens his connection to me.

What’s the real meaning of Frida’s nails?

Frida is a skilled nail designer who showcases her creations on Instagram. A comment from Slater about her nails sparked her fondness for him. While on the island, Frida discusses the origin of her animal-themed nail art, which she calls “Anailmals.” It’s clear that Slater himself isn’t particularly intrigued by her work.

Frida’s unique nail styles serve as an intriguing aspect that gives us a deeper understanding of her creative spirit, contrasting with Slater’s focus on controlling immediate situations. While Frida is motivated by creativity, Slater seems to be more concerned with maintaining order. Additionally, the various nail designs shown in the film could potentially relate to certain themes.

Previously mentioned, the repeated phrase “the red rabbit” that Frida encounters echoes the pattern on her nails when she initially arrived on the island. The rabbit serves as a symbol for Frida’s status as an unwitting prisoner during that event, and its red color mirrors the hue of desideria to signify her amnesia. Meanwhile, throughout the film, Frida sports blue cat-themed attire, which might suggest her inquisitive nature concerning Slater and the island’s secrets. At the movie’s conclusion, Frida adorns herself with tiny red flowers, possibly symbolizing her mastery over desideria and, by extension, Slater’s presence.

How do colors play into the meaning of the story?

In “Blink Twice,” not just Frida’s nails hold symbolic importance; the movie skillfully employs various colors as recurring themes. Red, a color that stands out due to its heavy emphasis when Frida arrives at the island, often signals danger. This hue is reflected in the desideria flower, and it also adorns the gift bags that are prominently displayed throughout the initial part of the film, eventually revealing Slater and his friends’ deceptive game to Frida.

Blue serves as a contrast to red. Upon her arrival on the island, Frida sports blue nails, and the room Slater allows her to stay in is painted blue. This color could subtly hint to viewers that Frida may be oblivious to the true circumstances and has forgotten something significant from her past.

In the series “Blink Twice,” the color that frequently appears is yellow. This hue is significant as it’s Jess’s preferred lighter color, and it’s also the shade of the snakes on the island. Yellow might symbolize memory, much like how Jess’s lighter helps Frida recall her friend who’s missing. Consequently, yellow can also signify safety due to its association with recollection. Interestingly, when conflict erupts on the island, Tom dons yellow sunglasses that get stained with blood before his tragic drowning in a pool. This unfortunate event signifies that as the women regain their memories, the men’s sense of security starts to fade away.

How does Frida’s past affect the ending’s meaning?

At the movie’s conclusion, Frida exhibits an unusually daring choice. Despite Slater’s abhorrent actions towards her and many other women, she chooses not only to spare his life but also to help him escape significant legal repercussions for his misdeeds. Instead, she orchestrates a scheme to elevate Slater to the position of CEO in her company, yet his presence continues to pose a persistent danger to Frida’s wellbeing.

Frida’s decision becomes clearer when taking into account her challenging past. While details about her life prior to the film are scarce, it’s evident that she experienced a tumultuous childhood. Her upbringing was marked by tragedy, as she found her mother’s body after her mother took her own life. Frida shares fragments of this trauma with Slater, albeit not delving deeply into every aspect of her past hardships. However, she does disclose that a piece of advice her mother left her was that the most effective revenge is success.

Right from the start of the film, it’s evident that Frida yearns for a life similar to Slater’s, not just for wealth and success, but primarily as a means to retaliate against him for his past actions. So, instead of simply taking over Slater’s company to become rich and successful, Frida effectively takes over Slater’s life and manages his business, aiming to get back at him by proving her capabilities in running his business better than he ever did.

How does Stacy’s role change the meaning of the story?

The narrative of “Blink Twice” revolves around women reclaiming power from oppressive men, but the plot becomes intricate due to a character who challenges this theme. One such character is Stacy (portrayed by Geena Davis), Slater’s assistant, who has participated in his wrongdoings. However, it’s crucial to note that Stacy herself is a victim of manipulation, as Frida tries to help her recall her past using snake venom. Regrettably, Stacy resents remembering her past and seeks revenge against Frida by attempting to harm her.

In essence, Frida ends up taking Stacy’s life following a conversation where she clarifies her intentions were to aid her. Symbolically, Stacy’s persona mirrors how various generations have dealt with trauma and societal patriarchy in general. Director Zoe Kravitz expressed this sentiment when she spoke to IndieWire, stating that she has great respect for Stacy and those like her. “I empathize deeply,” she shared, “with that era or any before ours that didn’t have the support network and platform to say, ‘We too have faced hardships. Let’s discuss this.’

Stacy, similar to Slater, holds the opinion that forgetting can be a blessing, and the film suggests that it’s plausible to empathize with this perspective, even as we assert that it inadvertently exacerbates problems for all involved.

What does Slater’s monologue at the end really mean?

Towards the movie’s climax, when I thought I had the advantage over Frida, I paused to share my perspective with my final victim. I told Frida that she was like my best friend due to her ability to forget, reminding me of my own. I contended that forgetting past traumas is the only viable path one can take because I don’t believe forgiveness is an option. To reinforce my belief, I repeatedly apologized for the harm I inflicted upon Frida and asked if she could ever forgive me. Naturally, Frida refused, which I took as confirmation of my beliefs.

As a gamer, I found one of the key themes in this movie revolves around forgiveness and forgetting. Frankly, Slater appears to be against forgiveness entirely, while it’s unclear if Frida shares his views. It seems Frida doesn’t forgive Slater when he apologizes, and that’s partly because Slater is missing the essence of an apology. When Slater apologizes to Frida, I got the sense that he was genuinely sorry for what he did, but there was no indication that he intended to change his ways or rectify the situation.

From Frida’s point of view, it isn’t sufficient for Slater to merely feel remorseful about his actions. He should strive to alter his behavior in the future, not only to alleviate his own guilt but also to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again. Whether or not her actions signify forgiveness towards him is a matter of interpretation.

How did Channing Tatum change the ending?

In “Blink Twice,” Channing Tatum not only plays a significant role, but he was also instrumental in molding the story as it unfolded. Zoe Kravitz had always envisioned Tatum for the character Slater, and she reached out to him with an early draft of the script. Throughout their discussions about the film, they developed a bond and are now engaged. Additionally, during this process, Tatum even altered the movie’s ending.

Kravitz shared with Vanity Fair that from the beginning, her plan was for Frida to take over as CEO by the movie’s end, but she didn’t initially expect both characters to survive until the final scene. As Kravitz put it, “There was an early draft of the script where everything fell apart, and he just perished – that was supposed to be the end.” However, Chan strongly felt that Slater couldn’t die because it would be too straightforward.

Kravitz followed Tatum’s guidance, which significantly deepened the ambiguity of “Blink Twice” and made its conclusion harder to decipher than it could have been without this refinement. The dynamic between Frida and Slater in the movie is intricate and open to various interpretations, as their shared scene at the film’s end leaves viewers questioning their emotions. Speaking about Frida’s enigmatic gaze in the final moments of the movie, Kravitz remarked, “That glance at the end of the film, for me, is akin to the Mona Lisa – it’s full of mystery and complexity. Is she content? Is she irate? Does she exclaim, ‘Wow!’ or is she melancholic? It embodies all these feelings simultaneously, and its stoicism adds an intriguing layer. I don’t believe there’s a definitive answer.

Will there ever be a Blink Twice 2?

The first film directed by Zoe Kravitz, “Blink Twice”, was unquestionably a triumphant start. In its opening weekend, it performed roughly as anticipated and eventually grossed $46 million worldwide – over double its production cost. Given the sensitive themes tackled in the movie, some may have been deterred, but still, it managed to secure a 75% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating many favorable reviews.

In summary, just like the idea that too much of a good thing isn’t always ideal, the story “Blink Twice” is exceptionally rich in themes, filled with suspense, and punctuated by genuine humor. Fans are eager to witness Kravitz in “The Batman: Part II,” but it’s intriguing to imagine what more she could offer as a writer and director. However, given the circumstances, chances of her returning to the universe of “Blink Twice” might be quite remote.

Despite the possibility of further mysteries in desideria and other enigmatic aspects of Slater’s island, Frida’s narrative seems to be as thematically complete as it can be. Exposing more of her character might diminish the intriguing ambiguity that Kravitz finds appealing in the ending. However, history often teaches us that ‘never say never’.

2025-01-20 15:30