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Bob Hoose
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Movie Review

Frida is a twentysomething woman with a lot going for her. She’s bright and personable. She’s also blessed with a beautiful face and body. And on this particular night, she’s hoping those last two attributes will work in her favor. For Frida has come up with a fabulous scheme.

You see, Frida has always had champagne tastes with a ginger-ale budget, and she’s never had much luck at bridging the two. But she recently finagled serving jobs for she and her roommate, Jess, at a Slater King party. (Yeah, the brilliant billionaire CEO of King Tech. That Slater King.)

Anyway, even though Frida and Jess walk in the front door in the proper serving attire, her plan doesn’t include much serving. Once they got in there they quickly slip into some rather pricey and very slinky dresses that Frida has been saving up for.

Sure, they may not look like they have Hollywood-style money, but once they appear in these dresses—cut down to there and hugging every curve—the men won’t care how much money they have, or how they were invited. They’ll just gaze and smile.

Sure enough, once Frida throws her plan into effect, it goes nearly without a hitch. Well, there is one literal stumble, as her shoe heel breaks at a key moment. But even that works in her favor. Her rather awkward tumble brings her to Slater King’s attention. He helps her up, gives her a funny look and then pretty much doesn’t leave her side for the rest of the party.

It was so, so perfect. Looking into Slater’s dreamy eyes; drinking, laughing, flirting. She was ready to swig one last glass of champagne and stagger her way home as a very happy woman.

Then, just as he’s leaving, Slater turns back—and invites Frida and Jess to fly off to his private island.

Frida’s jaw drops. Slater assures her the guest list is very exclusive: just be a handful of beautiful women, a small group of wealthy but less-attractive men, and the absolutely gorgeous Slater going. They’ll jet off to a private paradise set aside for the crème de la crème of Slater’s private circle.

Frida has read the magazine articles; she’s heard the influencer whispers. The “island” goes way beyond a champagne lifestyle. This will be luxury and a stretch of decadent partying that exceeds Frida’s wildest dreams. So, of course, she and Jess jump at the chance.   

However, even incredible private island resorts can have poisonous things crawling in the bushes and creeping secrets hiding in the undergrowth.

And the next Jimmy Choo is about to drop.


Positive Elements

Eventually, Frida puts her own life on the line to save others. Other than that, there’s not much of positive note in this film since it’s primarily focused on people debasing themselves and cruelly tormenting others.

I suppose, with the right eye squint, you could say this pic is a cautionary tale about the corrupt nature of mankind.

Spiritual Elements

Despite all the pain and abuse he heaps on others, Slater notes that he believes there is a “special place in hell” for anyone who sees someone in need and doesn’t help. He also, however, expresses his belief that “there is no forgiveness, there’s just forgetting.”

Sexual & Romantic Content

All the women on the island are given seductively revealing dresses and bathing suits, which they wear around the pool and at the many evening dinners.

A young woman named Sarah is said to have been a long-running contestant in a TV show called “Hot Survivor Babes.” She wears particularly revealing outfits (including a bathing suit that completely bares her backside) to draw attention to her curves. Nearly every woman at Slater’s initial party wears a low-cut and/or form-fitting dress.

There are conversations and references to various forms of sexuality, including oral sex. And early on, during their island stay, it’s implied that the excessively inebriated partiers are being sexually intimate. (We don’t see this activity. But we later learn that there’s something much more sinister going on. See the next section.)

Violent Content

[Spoiler Warning] Frida accidentally realizes that she and the other women have had their memories repeatedly wiped clean over the course of their stay at the island. In a series of flashbacks, she begins to remember moments when she and the other women were viciously tormented and raped repeatedly by the men on the island. (It’s implied that one of the men was drugged and physically abused as well, but we don’t see that happen.)

In these flashbacks, women are sometimes bound on the ground or strung up by their wrists, and they cry out in pain as the men assault them. Frida also remembers Jess being tortured, having her throat slashed open and being left to bleed out. (Director Zoë Kravitz doesn’t show nudity or sexualize any of these horrific scenes. But they are painful and dehumanizing moments to watch.)

When Frida and the other women regain their memories of these traumatic events, it leaves some of them doubled over or stunned by the emotional anguish. The end of the film then turns to a whole lot of bloodletting as men and women are gruesomely shot in the upper body and head, slashed open with knives or impaled by sharp objects (such as a corkscrew).

In addition, people are badly bruised and have nosebleeds; a man is left writhing in pain after a taser shot; a man’s head is smashed to a pulp by a large rock; someone has his leg broken and is hit in the face so hard that his teeth are knocked out and his dislocated jaw hangs askew; women are smashed into walls and mirrors; one has her windpipe crushed; a man’s pinky finger is bitten off; a number of people are consumed by a massive fire.

Crude or Profane Language

There are some 60 f-words spit out in this film (20 of which are in the soundtrack). In addition, we also hear eight s-words and one or two uses of “b–ch.” God’s name is misused 10 times (once in combination with “d–n”). Someone displays a rude hand gesture.

Drug & Alcohol Content

Every visitor on the island is more than happy to repeatedly numb themselves with extremely heavy alcohol consumption and drug abuse. We see them drinking excessive amounts of tequila, wine, whiskey and other hard alcohol beverages.

They also readily share drops of a hallucinogenic, roll and smoke huge “blunts” of marijuana; and puff vape pens full of nicotine and cannabis concentrates. And women are given a powerful drug that’s absorbed through their skin and erases their memories. Someone is bitten by a venomous snake. And several others drink or vape the venom as well.

Other Noteworthy Elements

We see a young woman sitting on the toilet with her pants around her ankles. Someone vomits after drinking snake venom. Frida finds a stash of instamatic photos of female victims who have been raped or killed. A man wakes to find a cartoonish sketch of male genitals drawn on his forehead.

Conclusion

Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut is designed to tap into the “Me Too” movement’s passion while making declarative statements about money, abusive power and male toxicity. What it delivers, though, is a lot of Epstein Island-like debauchery blended with I Spit on Your Grave style revenge violence.

That’s not to say that there’s absolutely nothing redeemable in the mix. From a purely esthetic perspective there are some solid performances (particularly from lead Naomi Ackie) and a serviceable story twist by movie’s end.

But all in all, this is one miserable island vacation filled with despicable people, profuse alcohol and drug consumption, repugnant rape and bloody murder. And you, dear viewer, are the one who must foot the bill.


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Bob Hoose

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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