New to Netflix on May 22, 2025, Sirens is a dark comedy miniseries that shares a lot in common with the toxic cult featured in Blink Twice, the must-see Channing Tatum thriller that was released last summer. Directed by Tatum’s ex-girlfriend Zoë Kravitz, Blink Twice is sure to appeal to those who enjoy the relaxing vibes of a sunny island getaway that turns into a much more sinister commentary on power dynamics.
Headlined by Oscar-winner Julianne Moore, Sirens may swap the predatory nature of males taking advantage of women for female-on-female crime, but the hefty themes remain similar. At their core, both Blink Twice and Sirens explore professional ambition, class divides, career risk-taking, and perhaps most eye-opening, how the rich and powerful exploit the youthful have-nots for their own self-interested gains.
‘Blink Twice’ Is One of the Best Movies of 2024
3
/5
Release Date
August 23, 2024
Runtime
102 Minutes
Despite being Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice is one of the best movies of 2024. The movie does so many things well, beginning with the central premise and the twisted framing that bucks convention and defies expectation. At heart, Blink Twice is about one woman’s awakening and personal discovery of how badly she has been physically, emotionally, and psychologically abused.
With deliberately fuzzy flashbacks to disorient viewers, Blink Twice concerns Frida (Naomi Ackie), a hair stylist and cocktail waitress who is approached at a fundraising event by tech guru Slater King (Tatum). Slater is kind, charming, and seductive at first. He invites Frida and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) to party on his private, secluded island with his friends and colleagues. Frida and Jess agree and, for a while, have a blast taking drugs, drinking booze, listening to music, and relaxing in the summer sun.
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Yet, just as Sirens alludes to the sounds of the police, Blink Twice becomes code for “blink twice if you’re in danger,” a careful act that must be done to keep Slater and his criminal buddies from knowing an escape plan is imminent. Without spoiling the precise particulars, Slater and his devious assistants have turned the island into a disturbing playground to physically violate the women they’ve invited and wipe the victims’ memories before they can alert the authorities.
Blink Twice admirably essays the psychological thriller subgenre and keeps viewers guessing until the hyperviolent finale. The movie’s message about the abuses of influential wealth and power and the healing of female friendship is elevated by the sun-dappled setting, stellar supporting cast, and pitch-perfect music.
How ‘Blink Twice’ Intoxicates Viewers To Hide Its Message
Warner Bros. Pictures
One of the most impressive aspects of Blink Twice is how it lulls viewers into a false sense of security before presenting its main themes. This is done through many methods, beginning with the sunny island vibes and relaxing vacation environment of Slater’s resort. Just as Frida and Jess are seduced by the exotic surroundings and colorful cocktails, so is the audience.
The characters luxuriate for such a prolonged period that the first half feels like a chilled hangout movie. Beyond the lavish location, the music chosen by Kravitz draws viewers in and accentuates the restful vacation vibe. From James Brown and Emitt Rhodes to Chaka Khan and Beyoncé to Chanda Dancy’s acclaimed original score, Blink Twice’s vivid soundtrack adds to the inebriation, which makes the second-half twist of the psychological thriller much more alarming.
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Another way Blink Twice excels at making viewers feel falsely safe is the top-notch supporting cast. Slater has surrounded himself with a bunch of brown-nosing yes-men who bend to his every whim and need, yet present such a confident air in the guests they recruit. The interplay between Vic (Christian Slater), Cody (Simon Rex), and Tom (Haley Joel Osment) is part of the movie’s droll, seductive appeal, until they and Slater get the brutal comeuppance they rightly deserve in the final act.
Past the sunny setting, tone-setting music, and enchanting supporting cast, mention must be made of Naomi Ackie’s remarkable lead performance. The talented British actor has the difficult task of not just enduring the psychological torment Frida experiences, but she also must keep viewers off balance by retaining the movie’s central mystery. Paired with Kravitz’s stylish direction that includes blurry flashbacks consistent with Frida’s intoxication, Ackie delivers a truly memorable turn that requires emotional maturity and demanding physicality.
For viewers’ sake, the hope for Sirens is that it will feature as many unforeseen twists and turns as Blink Twice, as many standout performances (lead and supporting), an inviting music-laced party atmosphere, and most of all, a salient statement on the powers of abuse and the necessity of solidarity in a toxic workplace.
‘Sirens’ Could Be Another Hit for Netflix
Netflix
Molly Smith Metzler created Sirens as a TV adaptation of her 2011 play Elemeno Pea. The new five-part miniseries follows Devon DeWitt (Meghann Fahy), a 30-something social worker who expresses grave concern about her younger sister Simone’s (Milly Alcock) demanding boss, Michaela Kell (Moore). In Metzler’s play, Michaela is described as the “trophy wife” of billionaire Peter Kell (Kevin Bacon), who returns to their lavish vacation home as summer closes and interrupts Simone’s stay.
Devon, a blue-collar worker with an old-fashioned work ethic, visits Simone and meets Michaela. As Devon witnesses firsthand how abusive, creepy, and unprofessional Michaela is toward her little sister, a battle of wits ensues throughout the one-weekend stay. As Devon sticks up for Simone and confronts Michaela for her wicked ways, an idyllic island getaway soon devolves into a nightmarish clash of class dynamics and socioeconomic sirens out to protect their interests.
The title Sirens alludes to the Greek mythological group of female sea-creatures (often mermaids) who lured sailors to their deaths through seductive song. The mythological aspect of the show is reinforced by the episode titles, which include “Exile,” “Talons,” “Monster,” “Persephone,” and “Siren Song.” The title also connotes “Sirens” as the wailing sounds of a police emergency, indicating something criminal is afoot when Michaela unexpectedly returns. Perhaps Simone will have to Blink Twice for Devon to know how urgent matters have become. Sirens is streaming on Netflix. Blink Twice is streaming on Prime Video.
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