There's less than meets the eye in "Blink Twice," a tepid thriller about the elite class that functions on a basic level — if a billionaire tech bro offers to whisk you off to a getaway on a private island, maybe don't do that? — but doesn't hold any interesting ideas about the rich and their abuse of power.

The film marks the writing and directing debut of Zoë Kravitz, an engaging, slinky screen presence in films like "The Batman" and "Kimi," but while it has a slick visual sensibility it rings hollow as a culture critique or anything deeper than a low-level suspense yarn. It's going for "Get Out," but it lands somewhere around "Don't Worry Darling."

Naomi Ackie, who took on Whitney Houston in "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," plays Frida, a broke cocktail waitress whom we first meet while she's on the toilet in her shoddy apartment, wondering how she's going to make rent. She doesn't have money but she knows how to have fun, and at a swanky catering event she and her pal Jess (Alia Shawkat) sneak in cocktail dresses so they can ditch their stations and rub elbows with the big timers.

They include Slater King (Channing Tatum), a Silicon Valley bigwig who we meet early on as he's apologizing on camera for some sort of recent indiscretion. We're not told exactly what his folly is, but the insinuation is that it is related to sex and/or #MeToo, and he's now hovering somewhere near or post-cancellation.

That doesn't stop Frida from obsessing over him, and the pair quickly turns flirty when they lock eyes at the party. It's not long before Slater invites both Frida and Jess to hop on his private jet and head off to his sprawling estate on his own private island, and of course they're all in. What could possibly go wrong?

Along for the ride are Slater's cadre of goon cronies, including Vic (Christian Slater), Cody (Simon Rex) and Tom (Haley Joel Osment). Props on the casting of these three, because they all seem like oily, gross, untrustworthy hangers on, exactly the sort of of non-threateningly threatening dudebros that would be glomming onto a rich and famous (and borderline canceled) tech entrepreneur. There are assorted girlfriend-types along for the ride as well, including Camilla (Liz Caribel) and Sarah (Adria Arjona), who look like they're straight out of the pages of Influencers Illustrated. Geena Davis (as Slater's harried assistant) and Kyle McLachlan (as his therapist) add to the solid ensemble cast.

On the grounds on Bro Island, everything is taken care of for the guests: they're provided with outfits, lavish meals, and nonstop supplies of bubbly and party drugs. But as the days go on (and on, and on), something about the island and this squad feels a bit off. What's really going on here? What happened last night? And what day is it, anyway?

"Blink Twice" gets less interesting the more it answers the questions it's posing. It's a movie that thrives on set up and falls apart on resolution, as it shows itself to be taking on less than it appears. There are issues of wealth, class, privilege, race and feminism that are presented but not followed through on, as "Blink Twice" morphs into a basic but somewhat empty-headed revenge thriller. It's all surface level with little underneath. (Kravitz co-wrote the screenplay with her "High Fidelity" collaborator E.T. Feigenbaum.)

Tatum has a chance to play someone truly conniving and evil but he comes off as a mildly inconvenienced king of industry, Jack from Twitter on a day where he received a distressing earnings report. That leaves Ackie to be the audience surrogate, but her character makes so many questionable decisions that it's hard to fully identify with her. "Blink Twice" has some pretty locations and familiar needle drops but is unable to conjure up any big ideas for itself or its characters. It's an island getaway that gets away from itself.

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'BLINK TWICE'

GRADE: C-

MPA rating: R (for strong violent content, sexual assault, drug use and language throughout, and some sexual references)

Running time: 1:42

How to watch: in theaters

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