Shes smiling as she delivers the line, but her focused gaze reflects the sharpness of her instinct.
Slater looks back at her with genuine confusion before exhaling, vape smoke coursing from his nostrils.
Zoe Kravitzs directorial debut is an exercise in waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Photo: Getty Images
Its all a little cult-like, but harmless, right?
As heinous revelations about powerful men came to light, she completed the script with her writing partner E.T.
Zoe Kravitz:I never really considered it.
Naomi Ackie as Frida inBlink Twice.
But I think at that point, I wasnt even really thinking about the movie getting made.
And how did you find Naomi for the role of Frida?
And I was like, Oh, okay.
Zoë Kravitz with Channing Tatum, Ackie, and Levon Hawke on the set ofBlink Twice.
I must agree,it isNaomi Ackie.
Naomi, when you first were approached about the role and read the script, what was your reaction?
Did you see yourself at all in the character of Frida?
Naomi Ackie:Yeah.
ZK:A rainbow feeling in your heart?
NA:It was!
It was a rainbow.
You know, at the time I was really hungry for something like this.
It felt like meCarmen was right.
I was like,I get it, this is my experience.
I was like, this is unlike anything Ive had the opportunity to read, ever.
I cant wait for you to keep on making stuff so other women can feel like how I feel.
Because, like, I got chills right now.
Its just going to be a one-upping of ideas and adding on and creating more layers and more depth.
And so it just made it so exciting once I realized that was going to be the process.
Naomi Ackie as Frida inBlink Twice.
Im not the first person to say that it evokesGet Out.
Is that something you actively referenced or discussed when creating Fridas character?
Are you trying to do that?And I was like,no.
And I also think that movie works so well because he was able to shift perspective.
Hes talking about one thing, but then he heightened it and made it about something else.
And so that was what was so inspiring to me.
I thought, How do I explain and heighten the absurdity of what women are asked to do?
And its about changing the perspective, story-wise.
How insane is it that we were asked to smile through our fear?
But we say it all the time.
Women say Dont tell me to smile, and no one understands why were saying that.
NA:Their survival has to be smiling through their fear.
ZK:So, anyway, yes, I was inspired byGet Out.[Laughs.]
A lot of the material in this film deals with trauma.
Was is stressful, filming some of the more intense scenes?
Were either of you particularly nervous going into them?
This has to be seen, has to be talked about.
Im more than happy to put myself in that position so this can be a discussion.
I was like, were going to be so well looked after.
But the amazing thing was that we all had each other.
And its so, so important, especially the debrief afterwards.
That was a really special bonding moment for me.
I felt so held in the space and I think we all did.
So it was actually really special.
ZK:And I actually think a lot of people got to work through these emotions.
To have an opportunity to exorcize them was also really powerful.
Zoe Kravitz with Channing Tatum, Ackie, and Levon Hawke on the set ofBlink Twice.
Where do you think we are now with those conversations?
Are we in a post-#MeToo moment?
So having the communication and the community of that movement is incredible.
Its the same way that, you know, will racism ever be fixed?
No, its so much more complicated than that.
And so I feel like itll continue to evolve and change and feel better sometimes and feel worse sometimes.
Its like powerthese things are here to stay, but how are we as a culture dealing with it?
Are we looking at it?
Are we ignoring it?
Where are we at with this right now?
Are we into it right now?
Is it in fashion?
NA:Its like taking these big, big ideas and then making them bite-size.
What this film is looking at is ultimately power, right?
[Ackie and Kravitz high-five each other.]
And then all of the women in the film had that together.
Its why we made the movie.
I want to pivot to hear a little bit about the location you filmed in.
Watching it, its sort of this nondescript tropical island with colonial undertones.
How did you find the location, and did the cast and crew spend a lot of time there?
ZK:Well, we lived there.
So we lived in that location.
It was crazy, but also really awesome.
Hes a tech guy, hes rich, like, thats what its gonna look like.
And I thought, Weve seen that before, but it doesnt necessarily add anything to the story.
And that adds so much to that story.
ZK:I did, I did.
I took it off early this morning because it was chipping.
I had a smiley face with bloodit was so cool.
NA:What did you have before that?
I feel like you had another one before that!
ZK:I had raspberries.
But no, today were boring, just brown.
NA:Its not just brown, its a lovely brown.
ZK:But Im super into the nail art of it all.
NA:Its so fun.
ZK:I do hope animal nails become a trend based off of this movie.
This interview has been condensed for clarity.
