On this episode, Matthew and Stacey are joined by Rosette Simityan, a fellow UC Davis colleague in the English Department. Join us as we talk about Zoë Kravitz's 2024 psychological thriller, Blink Twice, which stars Naomi Ackie as Frida, a cocktail server, and Channing Tatum as Slater King, a tech CEO who invites Frida and her friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), to his private island. Once there, Frida and Jess start to realize that they and the other women there are trapped in a horrific cycle of brutal abuse at the hands of Slater and his invited male guests. Together we discuss how the film engages with new directions in the purchase of horror and depictions of graphic violence, as well as how racial difference is imagined in the context of memory and experience.
Content warning: Blink Twice contains graphic depictions of sexual violence, abuse, and assault, which may be upsetting for some of our listeners to hear. Please listen with discretion if conversations around these themes might be particularly triggering or disturbing to you.
Film: Blink Twice (Zoë Kravitz, 2024) Intro Music: “The Army of You” (Library of Congress Free Music Archive) Outro Music: “Late Night Indigo” (written and performed by Stacey Baran)
Fear of the Dark is a film podcast about race and horror, hosted by Matthew Vernon and Stacey Baran. Episode edited and mastered by Stacey Baran.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.