Current:Home > ContactZoë Kravitz says Beyoncé was 'so supportive' of that 'Blink Twice' needle drop -ProfitQuest Academy
Zoë Kravitz says Beyoncé was 'so supportive' of that 'Blink Twice' needle drop
View
Date:2025-04-14 21:26:22
Spoiler alert! We're discussing the ending of the new movie “Blink Twice” (in theaters now). Beware if you haven't seen it yet.
Beyoncé doesn’t give her music to just anyone.
But the pop supernova made an exception for Zoë Kravitz,̈KravitzsaysBeyoncé who skillfully deploys a fan-favorite “Renaissance” track during the bloody finale of her provocative new thriller “Blink Twice.”
The film follows a social climber named Frida (Naomi Ackie), who takes an impromptu vacation with billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) and his hard-partying posse. But their exotic island paradise gradually turns into a cult-like nightmare, as Frida discovers that Slater and his male cohorts have been drugging and assaulting the women in the group to assert their dominance.
Join our Watch Party!Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
When the women wake up to the men's abuse, they kill them off one by one. And at the end of the film, Frida teams up with new friend Sarah (Adria Arjona) to take revenge on Slater. Armed with knives, they stride into his palatial compound, soundtracked by the woozy opening thrums of Beyoncé’s “I’m That Girl.”
Frida and Slater tussle on the floor, knocking over candles and burning the mansion to the ground. But rather than let him go up in flames, Frida saves the corrupt tech CEO, and with the help of some memory-wiping substances, blackmails him for his fortune. And in the film's final scene, she hosts a swanky gala of her own.
Why Zoë Kravitz chose Beyoncé's 'I'm That Girl' for the ending of 'Blink Twice'
The hypnotic “I’m That Girl,” with its rousing declaration of “ain’t stopping me,” was perfect for the movie’s empowering climax.
“I did not think we were going to get that song,” Kravitz says. “We did not have a lot of money for music. But we sent it to Beyoncé and her team, and they were so kind and responsive. She did not see the whole film, but she saw a clip of that part, and said ‘yes’ and was so supportive. I really couldn’t believe when we found out that we got it. It has such a major impact on the film ... it adds this whole meta, girl-power moment.”
Kravitz says she considered “so many” songs for that scene, including another iconic Beyoncé hit: “Crazy in Love” featuring Jay-Z. But “nothing was even close” to “I’m That Girl.”
“It was just unbeatable,” she adds. “It’s really fun to play with different songs in different scenes, and see how much it changes it. But once you put Beyoncé somewhere, you kind of don’t want to go back!”
Shooting that sequence, Kravitz "was picking banger after banger from different decades and genres, but we kept on screaming that we wanted Beyoncé,” Ackie recalls with a laugh.
After the trauma Frida and Sarah experienced, “I’m That Girl” feels like a middle finger “to the system,” Ackie says. “You just want to punch the air. It’s weirdly celebratory, like a claim of power in such a scary moment of the film.”
Naomi Ackie recalls how the set of 'Blink Twice' felt like 'having a party'
“Blink Twice” is full of other killer needle drops, including Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” and James Brown’s “People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul.” Music has always been vital for Kravitz: Her dad is rocker Lenny Kravitz, and she herself has fronted bands such as Lolawolf. Because of her musical background, she was hyper-conscious of the rhythm of the dialogue as she was writing the script.
“Rhythm is so important to me, in the way that scenes flow and the melody of a scene,” Kravitz says. “The reason people love Aaron Sorkin is because it’s like a symphony. The same with editing: I like editing that has a punch to it and that is all rhythm-based. I think of things in that way.”
“Blink Twice” marks Kravitz’s directorial debut. Ackie was floored by her “stylistic approach” and “attention to detail,” particularly when it came to aspects such as sound and music cues.
“She was always throwing out all these awesome songs, and we were just vibing,” Ackie says. “It genuinely was so magical. It’s such a gift when you get to work on something where you feel like you’re having a party at the same time.”
veryGood! (738)
Related
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Taylor Swift cheers on Travis Kelce at New Year's Eve Chiefs game in Kansas City
- Dan Campbell has finally been Lionized but seems focused on one thing: Moving on
- 'Vanderpump Villa': Watch teaser for Lisa Vanderpump's dramatic new reality TV series
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Remains of mother who vanished in 2012 found in pond near Disney World, family says
- Trump appeals Maine ruling barring him from ballot under the Constitution’s insurrection clause
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard is free, reflects on prison term for conspiring to kill her abusive mother
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Cardi B Sets the Record Straight on Her and Offset's Relationship Status After New Year's Eve Reunion
Ranking
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- The Bachelorette's Bryan Abasolo Files for Divorce From Rachel Lindsay After 4 Years of Marriage
- Milwaukee police officer shot and wounded non-fatally during standoff
- Life sentences for teen convicted of killing his parents are upheld by North Carolina appeals court
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Mountain Dew Baja Blast available in stores nationwide for all of 2024, not just Taco Bell
- People in prison explain what music means to them — and how they access it
- Cause still undetermined for house fire that left 5 children dead in Arizona, authorities say
Recommendation
Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
Pretty Little Liars’ Lucy Hale Marks Two Years of Sobriety
Missing NC teen found concealed under Kentucky man's home through trap door hidden by rug: Police
Souvenir sellers have flooded the Brooklyn Bridge. Now the city is banning them
A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
Shay Mitchell Looks Like Kris Jenner's Twin After Debuting New Pixie Cut
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. qualifies for presidential ballot in Utah, the first state to grant him access
Frank Ryan, Cleveland Browns' last championship quarterback, dies at 89