Zoë Kravitzâs directorial debut, the psychological thriller Blink Twice (in theaters this Friday), takes place almost entirely at one location: a private island owned by Slater King (portrayed by Channing Tatum), a supposedly reformed billionaire bad boy whoâs still in the midst of rehabilitating his image. In reality, itâs Hacienda Temozon Sur, a 17th-century estate turned hotel in Mexicoâs Yucatán region.
After a brief flirtation with King, Blink Twiceâs main character Frida (Naomi Ackie) accepts the controversial tech mogulâs invitation to tag along on a group trip to the island. The picture-perfect romantic daydream unravels, revealing a nightmarish reality as the days wear on. âAt first when I was writing the script I was picturingâbecause Slater is a tech billionaireâsomething a lot more modern,â Kravitz tells AD of the film, which she directed and co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum. âThen as we started to look at properties, I was very intrigued by having the backdrop of colonialism and kind of wanting the presence of the cycle of oppression as the backdrop of the story.â
Production designer Roberto Bonelli interpreted the hacienda setting as a choice that aligned with Kingâs desire to edit his image âfrom being a young yuppie into somebody who is more respected, more [culturally conscious], more cool, more likable,â he explains. A modern mansion might communicate the characterâs extreme wealth, but Bonelli figured a hacienda would indicate Kingâs hope to be seen as more evolved and worldlyâeven if, to Kravitzâs point about colonialism, itâs all a façade.
