Originally titled “Pussy Island,” Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, “Blink Twice,” derives its MPA (Motion Picture Association) approved title from a question posed by its main character, Frida (Naomi Ackie), an aspiring animal-themed nail artist. She asks the therapist of the tech billionaire she’s courting, “Blink twice if I’m in danger.” Frida, who uses her job as a cocktail waitress to sneak into an exclusive event with her best friend Jess (Alia Shawkat), finds herself face-to-face with the proverbial belle of the ball, Slater King (Channing Tatum). As the eyes of his therapist (Kyle MacLachlan) rapidly blink in response to Frida’s question, the ever-charming Slater playfully covers them, suggesting all parties involved are simply having a laugh. But danger is exactly what’s in store for Frida in this psychological thriller, which transforms the concept of losing all sense of time on a vacation from a blissful dream into a horrifying nightmare.

Having recently faced a #MeToo style cancellation, Slater King is in the process of restoring his public image with all the socially expected gestures. He’s filmed a public apology for social media, taken a leave of absence from his company, started a charity foundation, and, as one does when atoning for past sins, purchased his own private island. This idyllic destination provides the setting for the majority of “Blink Twice,” as Slater, clearly smitten with Frida, invites her and Jess to accompany him to his little slice of paradise.

Also onboard the private jet chartering this star-studded cast to Slater’s secluded isle are his private chef Cody (Simon Rex), DJ Tom (Haley Joel Osment), and photographer Vic (Christian Slater). They are joined by their respective “dates”: Sarah (Adria Arjona), the star of the fictional reality TV show “Hot Survival Babes”; Camilla (Liz Caribel), a vapid party-girl; and Heather (Trew Mullen), the queen of rolling fat blunts. Rounding out the group are Slater’s young protégé Lucas (Levon Hawke), bodyguard Stan (Cris Costa), and personal assistant Stacy (Geena Davis). No one assembles an ensemble quiet like an actor-turned-director, and Kravitz leverages her rolodex to great effect in “Blink Twice,” even if some characters have less to do than their performers deserve.

Once our crew arrives on the island, the girls are shown to their lavish villas, gifted bottles of perfume derived from a special flower uniquely indigenous to the island, and given matching white bathing suits and dinner gowns—once their cellphones have been collected by Stacy, of course. The days on the island are spent relaxing by the pool with a seemingly endless supply of champagne and raspberries; the nights are spent dining on Cody’s high-end meals and tripping on Vic’s potent hallucinogens. All seems paradisiacal at first, but strange occurrences swiftly mount, starting with the local workers on the island, all of whom sport the same ominous snake tattoo on their forearms. Slater assures his guests that the workers are there simply to cull the venomous serpent population that has boomed on the island, but one worker seems to recognize Frida, repeatedly calling her “Red Rabbit” in a series of disconcerting encounters.

What follows is a haze of unexplainable oddities, including the disappearance of Cody’s chef knife, Frida frequently discovering dirt under her nails, and multiple characters sustaining injuries they can’t remember the origins of. When one of the girls goes missing—the only evidence of her presence on the island being a lighter with her name on it—it becomes clear that these characters are losing time. Despite Vic prompting the group to shout “making memories” as he snaps the first of many Polaroids commemorating the trip, none of the characters seem able to remember much of anything.

The challenge that first-time director Zoë Kravitz sets for herself is a tricky one: grounding the audience in the disoriented perspective of our POV characters while still clueing us in to the passage of time. This high-wire act threatens to detach the audience’s engagement from the film, but Kravitz navigates it successfully, solidifying her competence as a filmmaker. However, that is not to say that “Blink Twice” is devoid of confounding developments, as the internal logic of the film’s MacGuffins begins to strain credulity after a while.

While the script (co-written by Kravitz and her “High Fidelity” collaborator E.T. Feigenbaum) could’ve used another pass to plug some plot holes, it succeeds in delivering biting social commentary. Falling in the vast chasm between the satirical genius of Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and the head-scratching emptiness of Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn”—both films to which “Blink Twice” will likely draw comparisons—Kravitz’s movie effectively communicates its big ideas about performative penitence, toxicity disguised as therapy speak, and entitled debauchery. I was also reminded of Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” while watching the film, but I think Kravitz comes much closer to hitting her intended targets with “Blink Twice.” The frustrating thing is how a script this sharp informs character decisions so dumb they’ll make you want to scream at the screen.

Despite the trigger warning that plays before “Blink Twice”—one that the film delivers on in a harrowing third act about which I have mixed feelings—it’s a remarkably pleasant movie for most of its runtime. Kravitz captures the atmosphere of a carefree vacation, and once the film turns, she sufficiently infuses comedy while never breaking the tension. For a film that depicts abuses of power and sexual violence, it has a surprisingly fun, bubbly vibe—until it doesn’t. Its ending, which advocates for a reversal of power of sorts, will be divisive. Some will be satisfied, while others, like me, will find their bloodlust for certain characters insufficiently quenched.

Channing Tatum is great in a menacing, out-of-character performance, and Adria Arjona continues to be one of Hollywood’s most compelling stars on the rise. But more than anything, “Blink Twice” announces Kravitz as a director to watch. Her film may have fallen short of the talent it gathered, but given time to develop, Kravitz may prove herself as commanding a force behind the camera as she is in front of it.