Epstein Island In A 2024 Movie? Why Internet Is Blinking Twice At Uncanny Parallels

What began as a psychological thriller about power and memory has, in recent weeks, turned into something else online.

On X and Instagram, users are drawing pointed parallels between the film, Blink Twice's billionaire playground and the real-life crimes of Jeffrey Epstein. The similarities are uncanny.

The conversation further intensified after fresh attention on emails referencing "trumpet plants" in Epstein's nursery, and suddenly, the film's central device of memory manipulation did not look so fictional.

Here is how the comparisons are being made, and why the plant connection has become the centre of this debate.

The Island, The Billionaire And The Blackouts

Spoiler Alert: Directed by Zoe Kravitz, Blink Twice, released in 2024, follows Frida, a cocktail waitress invited to a private island owned by tech billionaire Slater King. What begins as luxury quickly turns sinister.

The women experience blackouts, bruises and fragmented memories. They slowly realise they are being drugged, sexually assaulted and filmed.

A crucial plot device is a perfume derived from flowers grown on the island. The scent erases memory, allowing the men to operate without consequences. Later, snake venom restores those memories, setting off the film's violent reckoning. 

Directed by Zoe Kravitz, Blink Twice, released in 2024. Photo: IMDb

When the film released, a few immediately noted its resemblance to Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands, often referred to in media coverage as "Epstein Island". At the time, the parallels were seen as thematic commentary on elite abuse and impunity.

Now, social media believes the similarities run deeper.

The Trumpet Plants And Scopolamine Link

The latest claim circulating online centres on emails connected to Epstein that reference "trumpet plants" in his nursery.

One email dated January 27, 2015, forwarded to Epstein by photographer Antoine Verglas, carried the subject line: "Scopolamine: Powerful drug growing in the forests of Colombia that ELIMINATES free will". The forwarded article described scopolamine as a substance that could leave people highly suggestible, even stating, "You can guide them wherever you want. It's like they're a child."

Another email dated March 3, 2014, was sent by Epstein to an individual named Ann Rodriguez. In it, he wrote: "ask chris about my trumpet plants at nursery [SIC]?" The wording clearly indicates he had trumpet plants growing in his nursery.

The phrase "trumpet plants" appears three times across these communications. That much is documented.

Now, trumpet plants refers to species of Brugmansia or Datura, flowering plants known for their large, pendulous trumpet-shaped blooms.

Brugmansia and Datura contain tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine, atropine and hyoscyamine. These compounds act on the central nervous system.

Scopolamine does have legitimate medical uses when administered properly. It is prescribed for motion sickness and post-operative nausea. However, in high doses it can cause confusion, hallucinations, agitation, blurred vision and severe memory impairment. In extreme cases, ingestion can lead to coma or death.

Brugmansia is native to South America but grows in many parts of the world, including India. The plants are ornamental and striking, but every part of them is toxic.

And this is where social media draws another parallel line to Blink Twice.

Flowers, Forgetting And Fiction

In the film, Slater King gifts guests perfume made from island flowers that erase memory. Women wake up bruised but unable to recall what happened. The scent becomes the mechanism of control.

Online users are now linking that fictional memory-erasing flower to real-world references to trumpet plants and scopolamine. The flower, the rich billionaire's private island-everything made it impossible for social media to ignore. Infact the movie mentions 'Scopolamine' that the billionare offers to everyone as a drug that they use to party. 

Let's have a look at some reactions:

One X user wrote: "Zoe Kravitz wrote Blink Twice to expose the Epstein list."

Another commented: "Blink twice = Epstein's Island."

A third post read: "The parallels are too spot on. That script must've been therapy for the writer."

Some reactions have gone further: "We knew Blink Twice was about that island but I thought the whole plant toxin was creative licence. This is actually crazy."

The tone across platforms suggests disbelief that a film featuring elite men on a private island, filmed assaults, and a flower-derived memory disruptor could mirror newly resurfaced discussions about scopolamine and trumpet plants.

Even user reviews on IMDb from 2024 noted similarities to Epstein's case long before the recent email screenshots circulated widely.

'The Canadian Epstein'

The comparisons do not stop with Epstein. Social media has also invoked Peter Nygard, often dubbed by media outlets as the "Canadian Epstein". Nygard was accused of luring young women to his private estate in the Bahamas under the guise of glamorous gatherings.

Online rumours have speculated about celebrities visiting Nygard's island, including unverified claims about Lenny Kravitz (father of the director and producer of the movie Zoe Kravitz). There is no evidence supporting those claims, but the speculation has fed into broader conversations about elite circles and private islands.

In Blink Twice, Slater King's island operates as a sealed world where wealth shields wrongdoing. The film's portrayal of powerful men, controlled environments and erased memories mirrors public allegations surrounding both Epstein and Nygard, at least in structural terms.

Coincidence, Commentary Or Cultural Timing?

The Epstein case reshaped public understanding of how wealth and influence can obscure abuse. Any story about a billionaire's private island will inevitably invite comparison.

But what has amplified the discussion now is the plant connection. The film uses flowers to erase memory. Emails connected to Epstein mention trumpet plants linked to scopolamine, a compound known for causing confusion and memory impairment in high doses.

Whether the similarities are intentional, coincidental, or simply reflective of broader anxieties about unchecked power, the reality-whatever it may be-is the unsettling possibility that fiction sometimes does not stray far from reality.

READ MORE: The 'Zombie' Flower In Epstein Files, Also Mentioned In Hindu Mythology