Naman Shrestha
Under the direction of Zoë Kravitz, who also co-wrote the screenplay, ‘Blink Twice’ is a psychological thriller movie that follows Slater King, a tech billionaire who owns a private island. At his fundraising event, he crosses paths with a cocktail waitress named Frida, with whom he feels a strong connection. After bonding with her, he invites her to a luxurious party he is hosting on his island. In the beginning, everyone is having the time of their lives, not wanting it to end.
Appearing to be paradise at first, the dream vacation soon turns into a nightmare for the guests, especially Frida, as her friend disappears. When more strange things occur, it is up to Frida to get to the bottom of it all. Led by Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie, the mystery film also features other talented actors in supporting roles, including Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Kyle MacLachlan, Geena Davis, and Alia Shawkat. Given the presence of thematic symbols in Slater King’s luxurious property, where most of the story unfolds, it raises questions regarding the actual shooting sites.
Blink Twice Filming Locations
Originally titled ‘Pussy Island’ during the shooting, ‘Blink Twice’ was filmed across Mexico, specifically in Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Mexico City. Principal photography for the suspenseful movie got underway in June 2022 and continued for the next few months. The cast and crew members hardly took any time to gel with one another as they lived in the same place where they shot the movie, making the shooting process quite interesting and personal.
Yucatán, Mexico
In order to shoot most of the pivotal sequences for ‘Blink Twice,’ the production team traveled to Yucatán, a Mexican state officially known as the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán. To be particular, Hacienda Temozon Sur at Km 182 Carretera Merida-Uxmal in Temozón Sur, served as the primary filming site. Consisting of 28 rooms and suites, the hotel also has a restaurant called Casa Temozón, which serves a variety of local dishes to the guests. The visitors can also make the most of its on-site spa services.
However, certain tweaks were made to the 5-star hotel to make it stand in for a private compound in the movie. Changing a few things in and around the pool space, the team got rid of all the railings around it and created custom loungers instead. They also added local Yucatan marble around the perimeter to give off a more luxurious appearance. The sauna seen on the property on screen was also constructed by the team. As for the interiors of the hotel, the bedrooms were repainted in bold colors to reflect the different characters in the property. Deviating from the stereotypical idea of using the color red as a symbol of danger, the makers decided to go with blue color as the alarm color.
With all these changes, they intended to make the audience perceive the establishment in a different way, something horrific. The director, Zoë Kravitz’ told Architectural Digest, “My hope is that the audience experiences things differently than they did before they knew what was going on. Environments that felt luxurious and exciting now feel kind of claustrophobic and terrifying.” Even when they were off camera, the cast stayed at the Hacienda Temozon Sur for the entirety of the production. The filmmaker revealed, “We all stayed where we shot. It was actually amazing and part of the reason that everybody felt so safe together and comfortable and free and friendly…. It could’ve gone horribly wrong, but I think it made the whole experience so much more fun.”
Other Locations in Mexico
For shooting purposes, the production team of ‘Blink Twice’ also set up camp in other sites across Mexico, reportedly in Quintana Roo. Furthermore, a few important interior scenes were recorded in the rooms built on a sound stage in Mexico City. Naomi Ackie, who portrays Frida, shared her experience filming on location in Mexico. She stated, “I’ve not experienced being on a set like ‘Blink Twice’ where everyone is on set most of the time. There are so many shared scenes where everyone is all together, and you just naturally start to build up the energy. You’re just continuing performance like the camera just turned on, and Zoë and the producers brought together a bunch of people that they knew would connect and who want to tell a good story they really care about.”
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