PHOTO © AMAZON / MGM STUDIOS

Make no mistake: “Blink Twice” contains deeply disturbing content.

The thriller, from writer/director Zoë Kravitz, is a jarring parable about trauma and memory. The filmmaker has plenty to say about how we process and move on from terrible things, and she’s going to depict some of those terrible things — unflinchingly, but never gratuitously — to deliver that message.

It’s a case where audiences that might be concerned about seeing certain content should probably do some research before they buy a ticket. (Messages on the film’s social-media profiles offer guidance and resources.) For those willing to take the journey, the film is an intriguing and assured debut from an artist with a clear vision.

Frida (Naomi Ackie) and Jess (Alia Shawkat) are best friends eking out a living as cocktail waitresses at ritzy events. When they’re booked to pour champagne at a fete honoring controversial tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum), they launch a scheme to impress the mogul; it works, and King invites the pair to his private island for a round-the-clock party.

The tropical paradise is populated by an extensive staff, a handful of King’s close associates and a shocking number of venomous snakes. (Literally and figuratively.) As the party stretches from nights into weeks, Frida begins to notice some confusing gaps in her own memory — changes that seem positively sinister when Jess suddenly disappears and no one else seems to remember her.

The leads are captivating. Ackie has an aura that fills the screen, and Tatum’s cool-guy charm can turn sinister with barely a flinch. They’re significantly buoyed by a loaded supporting cast including Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Christian Slater, Adria Arjona and Geena Davis (who is clearly having the time of her life).

It’s Kravitz’s party, however, as the longtime actress and musician steps behind the camera with confidence and verve. The choices in “Blink Twice” are bold, but not so showy as to seem ostentatious; Kravitz knows what she wants to do and does it, usually to great effect. At times, she struggles to wrangle the tone of a script that has moments of comedy interspersed with moments of deep depravity; ultimately, though, she steers the film to a satisfying and devious conclusion.

In content and comment, “Blink Twice” will assuredly not be for everybody, but there’s a good reason for that. It doesn’t go too far; it only goes as far as reality.

My Rating: 8/10

“Blink Twice” is now playing in theaters.