Review: 'Zola' is Bold and Zany with Shrewd Social Commentary

Road trip movies often feature characters on a quest encountering outlandish scenarios, while revealing truths about humanity.

Based on A'Ziah "Zola" King's viral Twitter thread and David Kushner's Rolling Stone article "Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted," "Zola" stars Taylour Paige as Zola and Riley Keough as Stefani, two dancers who go on a road trip to Florida to earn money; mayhem ensues. Directed by Janicza Bravo ("Lemon" writer/director) and co-written by Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris, the movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 and was nominated for the Grand Jury Award.

"Zola" is a bold, zany comedy-drama and a stylized film of the sort in which characters verbalize messages when texting. Funny and absurdist, freeze frames accompany Zola's narration, providing foreshadowing and insight. Shrewd commentary weaves through the kinetic story: Observations on sex work, female friendship, racism, the exploitation of women's bodies – particularly Black women's bodies, police brutality, sexual assault, and abusive coercion.

Zola's refrain opens the film: "Y'all want to hear a story about why me and this bitch here fell out? It's kind of long, but full of suspense." Zola, a restaurant server in Detroit, meets Stefani, a customer. They immediately share a kindred connection. In what initially feels like a possible queer gaze, they intensely stare facing each other; a Twitter-style heart appears onscreen.

Stefani invites Zola for a weekend road trip to Florida to make money pole dancing. X (Colman Domingo), later revealed to be Stefani's pimp, and Stefani's nice but naïve boyfriend, Derrek (Nicholas Braun), accompany them. While the trip begins merrily, Zola quickly realizes it's not the fun-filled, glamorous excursion she anticipated.

X sets up a profile advertising sex work with selfies Stefani took of her and Zola. Upset, Zola says she doesn't have sex for money. As Zola tries to leave, X's laid-back façade crumbles, and he threatens Zola. In a sinister shot, Zola sits in the car's backseat while in the foreground, a close-up of the lower half of X's face talking, his face dominating the frame.

Taylour Paige (great in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and "Boogie") is excellent. Zola is the wise, skeptical observer to unwieldy shenanigans. She's assertive, advocating for herself, and she's masterful in her facial expressions (particularly side-eye) and body language, I relished watching Paige's reactions. Always a delight, Colman Domingo (outstanding in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and "Fear the Walking Dead") imbues X with charisma and menace. Riley Keough gives a good performance. Obnoxious on the surface and appropriating Black culture as a white woman, Stefani reveals tearful vulnerability, which might be a manipulative ruse or genuine as she's coerced, herself.

Mica Levi's outstanding score – one of my favorite film composers, known for unsettling compositions ("Under the Skin," "Jackie") – begins with an almost fairy tale vibe, yet takes an ominous electronica turn when events unravel.

Filmed on 16mm in Tampa and Clearwater, Florida, Ari Wegner's vivid cinematography enhances the gritty aesthetic. While possibly appearing exploitative of Zola's body – low-angle shots while pole dancing and overhead bathroom shots – "Zola" deftly denounces abusive exploitation while simultaneously respecting sex workers.

Juxtaposed with predatory men in the film, "Zola" highlights the power of female friendship and camaraderie. Zola circumvents X, helping Stefani earn more money by taking photos of her and charging a higher fee. Zola has Stefani's autonomy and safety in mind, telling clients Stefani's boundaries. We see this reified with LGBTQ+ activist Ts Madison Hinton's cameo as Hollywood, a den mother at a club.

"Zola" is a wildly entertaining film that divulges depth.

"Zola" opens in theaters on June 30, 2021.