Zoë Kravitz on the movie that made her fall in love with movies
Like many actors, Zoë Kravitz recently took the plunge to the dark side after her directorial debut, Blink Twice, which follows a waitress who is invited on holiday with a tech billionaire. Many filmmakers these days seem to see controversy as the ultimate cinematic achievement, with the film sparking debate over its portrayal of sensitive subject matter and previous title of Pussy Island.
However, this might be a job well done for Kravitz, with the director certainly grabbing people’s attention through the provocative thriller, regardless of how it was executed, which seems to be an increasingly popular rhetoric within the film industry.
But before her time in the director’s chair, Kravitz was a musician and actor, starring in beloved TV shows like Big Little Lies and High Fidelity, as well as in Matt Reeves’ interpretation of Batman and the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film Caught Stealing.
Kravitz is throwing herself into cinema from all angles, both in front of and behind the camera. Her Criterion Closet tour revealed a varied taste, name-checking Paris is Burning, The Fisher King, and her admiration for John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. But it all seems to trace back to one specific film—the formative childhood viewing experience that’s stuck with her ever since.
Some films are so soaked in nostalgia you can’t help but love them, even if they’re far from perfect. They’re the kind you turn to on a bad day for a dose of comfort, flaws and all. For many, the high school musical Grease is one of those films—packed with infectiously catchy songs, over-the-top costumes, and that unmistakable ’70s style.
The love story of Danny and Sandy is iconic, regardless of how ridiculous it can be, with one great musical number that is influenced by Danny’s bizarre feelings of ‘rejection’ after trying to grope Sandy in a parking lot. After all, it was the ’70s.
But for Kravitz, the film is one that continues to linger in her memory, saying, “The first movie I fell in love with was Grease. I drove everyone crazy with the songs, with leather jackets, talking about Danny Zuko. I would put on shows in my grandmother’s or my mom’s house. I’d perform songs with my cousins. I would cut up little tickets—I’d make the family pay me money! I was like, ‘It’s one dollar to get in.’ They’d say, ‘We live here; this is crazy,’ but they’d give me the dollar.”
Sometimes, inspiration strikes from something completely unexpected, leaving an impact we never saw coming. For many filmmakers, the most formative memories come from childhood—watching something they become obsessed with, unable to shake it. Years later, they realise it was a far more pivotal moment than they understood at the time.
