The controversy around Zoë Kravitz‘s directorial debut Blink Twice continues. Just days before the official release in theaters, producers at Amazon have decided to issue a trigger warning for the film starring Channing Tatum as a “psychopathic” and manipulative tech mogul. The statement was posted on the official Amazon MGM Studos X/Twitter account, and warns audiences of several scenes and themes in the film which could be “upsetting or triggering for some viewers.”
“Trigger Warning. We are proud to finally share ‘Blink Twice’ with audiences in theaters worldwide this week. ‘Blink Twice’ is a psychological thriller about the abuse of power. While this is a fictionalized movie, it contains mature themes and depictions of violence — including sexual violence. This may be upsetting or triggering for some viewers. For resources that offer support, visit BlinkTwiceResources.com.”
The first controversy about Kravitz’s upcoming psychological thriller was regarding its original title. At first, the project’s name was Pussy Island, but it was eventually (and unsurprisingly) changed after coming under the scrutiny of business execs who weren’t in tune with such a bold title. In an interview with Collider, Kravitz revealed why she chose the original name, and why it was changed:
“I don’t know if you know the original title of the film, which is
Pussy Island
, but wanting to explore power and taking back power — specifically that word and what we’ve come to feel when we hear that word — and wanting to really explore how absurd it is that women are asked to forget and pretend and smile through pain and speak with our eyes because we can’t say it out loud and really wanting to highlight how insane that is and tiring and f*cked up.”
What is Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice All About?
In Blink Twice, a billionaire tech mogul named Slater King (Tatum) convinces a cocktail waitress named Frida (Naomi Ackie) to invite along a friend and spend a weekend on his private island. She doesn’t see the risks and immediately accepts, bringing Jess (Alia Shawkat) with her. Everything goes great at first, with the pair finding themselves in paradise along with other guests. But when Jess suddenly goes missing, Frida finds herself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy.
Per the MPA rating, the film is “rated R for strong violent content, sexual assault, drug use and language throughout, and some sexual references.” Currently, we can only imagine how controversial and shocking the material in the movie will be, but given that it’s very rare for a distributor to issue a warning of this nature, Blink Twice will probably go where other films have never dared.
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It has already been revealed that Channing Tatum explored the seriously dark side of his character’s persona during preparation, but what the project will entail still remains somewhat mysterious. The film has already earned a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its release, with many heaping praise on Kravitz’s directorial debut. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what Blink Twice involves, with the movie set to be released tomorrow, but no doubt many will be grateful for the early warning.
Blink Twice
will open exclusively in theaters on August 23.
