The Internet 'Blinks Twice' At Parallels Between This HBO Thriller And Jeffrey Epstein Island

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 16:35 IST

Blink Twice follows Frida and other young women who are lured to a tech billionaire’s private island, only to experience disturbing blackouts, abuse and fragmented memories

When Blink Twice, an intriguing psychological thriller directed by Zoë Kravitz and starring Channing Tatum, debuted on HBO, it quickly climbed the streaming charts, earning a spot on the platform’s Top 10 list. However, beyond suspenseful plotting and star power, many viewers watching the movie in 2024 and 2025 found themselves doing something unexpected: thinking about Epstein Island—the real-world site synonymous with the scandal and exploitation tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Blink Twice follows Frida and other young women who are lured to a tech billionaire’s private island, only to experience disturbing blackouts, abuse and fragmented memories—with a mysterious island flower-derived perfume used to erase what happened.

Though fictional, the imagery of affluent insiders retreating to hidden corners of power resonated uncomfortably with public awareness of Epstein’s own private enclave, the notorious Epstein Island, after journalists and investigators released files and testimonies detailing abusive and exploitative conduct.

“I immediately thought of this movie when the Epstein files were released," wrote an online user, while another added: “Zoe Kravitz wrote Blink Twice to expose the Epstein list." Yet another online user said: “The parallels are too spot on. That script must’ve been therapy for the writer."

The Trumpet Plants

A fresh wave of online speculation has focused on a series of emails linked to Epstein that mention “trumpet plants" growing in his nursery.

One of the emails, dated January 27, 2015, was forwarded to Epstein by photographer Antoine Verglas. The subject line read: “Scopolamine: Powerful drug growing in the forests of Colombia that ELIMINATES free will." The attached article described scopolamine as a substance capable of making individuals extremely suggestible, even claiming, “You can guide them wherever you want. It’s like they’re a child."

In another exchange dated March 3, 2014, Epstein wrote to a person identified as Ann Rodriguez: “ask chris about my trumpet plants at nursery [SIC]?" The phrasing suggests he was referring to plants he personally cultivated.

The term “trumpet plants" appears three times across the email trail—a detail that has drawn particular attention online.

Botanically, “trumpet plants" commonly refers to species such as Brugmansia or Datura, ornamental flowering plants known for their large, hanging, trumpet-shaped blossoms. Both plants contain naturally occurring compounds called tropane alkaloids, including scopolamine, atropine and hyoscyamine, which affect the central nervous system.

It is the combination of these documented references and the known pharmacological properties of the plants that has fuelled renewed scrutiny online.

News viral The Internet 'Blinks Twice' At Parallels Between This HBO Thriller And Jeffrey Epstein Island

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