Blink Twice has a wild ending that is triumphant and equally devastating at once. Directed by Zoë Kravitz, who co-wrote the script with E.T. Feigenbaum, Blink Twice’s movie reviews have been largely positive, and it’s not only because Kravitz’s film has a stellar cast. The psychological thriller goes to some very dark places, largely because what tech mogul Slater King and his friends do to Frida, Jess, Sarah and the rest of their island guests is reprehensible. Near the end of the film, Frida and Sarah discover what’s going on, realizing the snake venom counteracts the perfume’s amnesiac effects.
Horrified by Slater and his friends ᴀssaulting them every night and gaslighting them afterward, Frida and Sarah secretly offer snake venom to the other women on the island before fighting back against their abusers. Frida remembers she was on the island last year, and she and Sarah attack Slater, Vic, and the rest, killing some of them. In a confrontation with Frida, Slater knocks over a candle and burns his mansion down. She drags him out and Blink Twice jumps ahead to reveal Frida is now the CEO of Slater’s company, and he has forgetten the past.
What Happens To Sarah At The End Of Blink Twice
Sarah Wasn’t At The Gala Attended By Frida & Slater
Sarah teams up with Frida to attack their ᴀssaulters after they start remembering what actually happened to them. Instead of killing Slater, though, Frida drags him out of his burning mansion. Sarah tells Frida she hopes she knows what she’s doing, and Sarah is nowhere to be found in Blink Twice’s final sH๏τ. Sarah’s absence suggests she wanted no part in Frida’s plan to turn the tables on Slater and make him forget his own recent past. Sarah likely wanted to go back to her life, even if it meant remembering the horror of what transpired on the island.
Every Character In Blink Twice |
The Actor Who Plays Them |
Frida |
Naomi Ackie |
Slater King |
Channing Tatum |
Jess |
Alia Shawkat |
Sarah |
Adria Arjona |
Vic |
Christian Slater |
Tom |
Haley Joel Osment |
Stacy |
Geena Davis |
Cody |
Simon Rex |
Camilla |
Liz Caribel |
Rich |
Kyle MacLachlan |
Lucas |
Levon Hawke |
Heather |
Trew Mullen |
Sarah probably didn’t want to continue being around Slater because it would take her longer to heal. What’s more, she may not have agreed with Frida’s plan because it was not only dangerous, it was also out in the open, with a high risk of being caught. Sarah likely wanted to be done with anything involving Slater King after what he did, and putting distance between them was a start. It’s also possible Sarah went on to star in another reality show, though it’s unclear if she would still keep in touch with Frida after they left the island.
Will Frida Get Away With Her Plan To Keep Slater Forgetting?
Frida Is Slater’s Wife, So She Has The Perfect Cover
Frida is now the CEO of Slater’s company, and she continues lacing his vape with snake venom to keep him in line. But what’s unclear is if this plan can last forever. After all, Frida isn’t only ensuring Slater forgets, but she continues to make Slater’s therapist, Rich, forget as well. Frida using Slater’s own poison against him is certainly a way to get revenge for him ᴀssaulting her and killing Jess, but her conscience might start to eat away at her after a while.
Sarah’s absence suggests she wanted no part in Frida’s plan to turn the tables on Slater and make him forget his own recent past.
Frida is in a leadership position now, and all eyes are on her. It might not be long before someone suspects something is wrong, and her plan is revealed. At the same time, Slater smoking his vape isn’t cause for concern, as it’s something he’s always done, and someone would have to catch Frida in the act of lacing his vape with the forgetful serum to notice anything’s amiss. Considering Frida is now Slater’s wife, too, her control over the situation is тιԍнт, and it’s unlikely anyone will catch on to her actions anytime soon.
The Reason Stacy Becomes Angry With Frida Instead Of Helping Her
Stacy Could Have Helped Frida & Sarah, But She Doesn’t
Frida believed that giving Stacy the snake venom would get her to see clearly what Slater’s been doing and help her and Sarah fight back against him and his friends. Instead, Stacy got angry at Frida for allowing her to remember at all. While her history isn’t fully explained, it seems Stacy would rather forget everything about her past than have to deal with the consequences of her trauma. Stacy could have helped Frida, but she was more than content with living in forgetful bliss, even if it meant willfully continuing to ᴀssist Slater.
Stacy’s actions show that not all women are feminist allies. Geena Davis’ character was only looking out for and protecting herself. Knowing the truth didn’t make Stacy want to fight back; it only made her want to hide away from the reality of the situation and her past. She would rather live in denial than move forward. The fact that Stacy was okay with what Slater and his friends were doing made her both a victim and an accomplice, turning her back on Frida, Sarah and the other women who needed her help.
Why Slater King Believes Forgiveness Is Not Real In Blink Twice
Slater Wholeheartedly Believes In Forgetting Over Forgiving
Blink Twice, yet another win for Channing Tatum, includes themes of forgiveness and forgetting one’s trauma throughout, and Slater, though his actions are not excused in the film, also has them. He’s angry with himself for not knowing and forgetting certain things that happened with his dad. Ultimately, Slater doesn’t believe forgiveness is real because it would mean someone having to forget what actually happened to them. So long as they remember, forgiveness isn’t actually achievable.
“Forgetting is a gift,” is an oft-repeated line in the film. Slater wholeheartedly believes that it’s better to forget rather than forgive. Slater is allegedly in therapy, but he doesn’t seem to be doing the work that would bring him to forgiveness. In his eyes, forgetting is more powerful than forgiving because it gives a person their full life back. They’re able to live freely, unburdened by the trauma they experienced. Slater thinks this is a good thing, even as it gives him power to abuse others without their consent. In Slater’s case, forgetting benefits the abused and the abuser.
The Real Meaning Of Blink Twice’s Ending
Power Dynamics Between Victims & Abusers And The Cycle Of Abuse
Blink Twice explores multiple themes, including the power dynamics at play between victims and abusers, as well as how gender plays a big role. The film also underscores how a victim can then become an abuser, and showcases the psychological manipulation involved in an abuser maintaining power and control over their victims. Wealth, influence, and glamour can overshadow what’s really going on beneath the surface, as exemplified at the beginning and end of the film, warping reality to create a new perception.
Crucially, though, Blink Twice’s ending showcases the cycles of abuse that can continue unless someone breaks them. Hurt, traumatized and angry, Frida becomes the manipulator Slater once was. He is now in the position she was in when they lived on his island. Blink Twice reveals the revenge that is embedded into Frida’s actions, which she likely justifies to herself, but she’s also shifted to be in a position of power over Slater, reinstating the abusive structure she was trapped in for so long.
How The Blink Twice Ending Was Received
Audiences & Critics Praised The Story’s Message
Critics praised Blink Twice for its exploration of power dynamics between those with power and those who are left at their whims. The Tomatoemeter score was Certified Fresh at 75% while the audience’s Popcornmeter score was a slightly lower, yet still a positive 71%. One audience review found parallels to a real-life Sєxual abuse case, writing, “This film skillfully navigates the premise similar to the Jeffrey Epstein case, stirring the narrative with solid performances from Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie.”
However, there were also fans who were disappointed with the depictions of Sєxual ᴀssault, even with the ending changing the power dynamic. One Rotten Tomatoes audience review read, “And while there were some interesting allegorical messages, none fully landed. The storyline is so disturbing, I’m disturbed that someone even thought it was cool to script and fund this film. Repeated Sєxual violence against women doesn’t make a great plot or artistic tool.“
For professional critics, ABC News Peter Travers referred to it as a #MeToo thriller. He wrote, “Kravitz — buoyed by a powerhouse performances from Ackie and Tatum — makes sure that we never lose track of the fact that she’s making a movie about women who show up for each other when the going gets rough.“
With that said, there were several people who loved Blink Twice, but they absolutely hated the ending. A Reddit thread was dedicated to the end and how it “failed” the movie. The OP wrote, “I also thought the closing scene and true ending were a little ridiculous. Our hero who can barely cut it as a server has decided to take on the burden of running a mega corporation, the burden of hunting down the villain’s contacts, and the burden of living a double life. How is she capable of any of this?” Most of the Redditors agreed with the sentiment.