Zoë Kravitz‘s Blink Twice made swift adjustments following complaints related to Blake Lively‘s It Ends with Us.
On August 21, Amazon MGM Studios issued a trigger warning two days ahead of the release of Kravitz’s directorial debut. The warning was posted on the film’s official social media accounts and began with, “We are proud to finally share Blink Twice with audiences in theaters worldwide this week.”
“Blink Twice is a psychological thriller about the abuse of power,” the post continued. “While this is a fictionalized movie, it contains mature themes and depictions of violence—including sexual violence. This may be upsetting or triggering for some viewers.”
The statement included a link to resources and additional information, noting that the film has been rated R by the MPAA for “strong violent content, sexual assault, drug use and language throughout, and some sexual references.”
“The film explores themes of sexual violence, power dynamics, and the complex experiences of sexual abuse survivors,” the note added. “If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence – it is NOT your fault and you are NOT alone.”
Inspired by the Jeffrey Epstein case, the film stars Naomi Ackie as a young woman invited to join a tech billionaire, played by Kravitz’s fiancé Channing Tatum, on his private island.
The trigger warning comes in the wake of criticism surrounding It Ends With Us, which depicts domestic violence and was criticized by some for not being explicit enough about its subject matter.
Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, the film follows Lily Bloom, played by Lively, as she becomes involved with an abusive man, Ryle Kincaid, played by director Justin Baldoni.
In addition to the critique over the lack of a warning, Lively faced backlash for her promotional approach, encouraging cinemagoers to “bring their florals” in a manner reminiscent of the “wear pink” trend surrounding Barbie last year, while avoiding explicit mention of domestic violence.
Bridgette Stumpf, founder and executive director of Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), wrote in an essay for The Hollywood Reporter that It Ends With Us “ultimately fails the survivors it is supposed to advocate for,” by “glossing over its domestic violence content in the film’s marketing, and by not providing any content warnings prior to the start of the film.”
“When watching the film in a packed theater with a colleague on opening night, our first reaction as the film ended was disappointment that no resources were immediately offered for survivors as soon as credits rolled,” Stumpf wrote. “Later, there was an end credits message, though it came after many had left.”
The message in its end credits read, “If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Visit: www.nomore.org for information and support.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
