Zola (2021) A24/Comedy-Drama RT: 86 minutes Rated R (strong sexual content and language throughout, graphic nudity, violence including a sexual assault) Director: Janicza Bravo Screenplay: Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris Music: Mica Levi Cinematography: Ari Wegner Release date: June 30, 2021 (US) Cast: Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, Colman Domingo, Ari’el Stachel, Jason Mitchell, Ts Madison, Sophie Hall. Box Office: $5.2M (US)
Rating: ** ½
Is it possible to hate everything about a film, yet still appreciate what it’s going for? In the case of Zola (aka @Zola), a sad commentary on Twitter culture, it is. I absolutely despised the four main characters. They are the biggest bunch of stupid a**holes I’ve seen in movie since the teens in 2001’s Bully. There’s not a single redeeming quality among them. Combined, their IQs equal less than 100. Like most of their generation, they live their lives on social media. If it happens IRW, it doesn’t count unless you post it as its happening or immediately afterwards.
If there’s drama, it must be related in a series of tweets. That’s how Zola came to be. The screenplay is based on a Twitter thread that went viral in 2015. The tweets, 148 in all, were posted by Aziah “Zola” King, a waitress/part-time stripper dragged into a messy situation by a new friend. Although I have a Twitter page, I never go on there. I was not aware of Zola’s on-line story until I read of it in the opening titles. It’s quite a tale, that’s for sure.
Zola, played by Taylour Paige (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), invites us in by asking “Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out???????? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.” The bitch she’s referring to is Stefani (Keough, American Honey), a train wreck of a young woman who speaks fluent white girl ghetto-ese. Zola first meets her when she takes her order at the sports bar and grill where she works. They quickly become friends. The next day, Stefani invites Zola to take a road trip to Tampa with her for a promising stripping gig at a club. They’re joined by Stefani’s dimwitted “boyfriend” Derrick (Braun, The Perks of Being a Wallflower) and unnamed roommate (Domingo, Fear the Walking Dead) who “takes care of her”. Obviously, he’s her pimp. It soon becomes clear it’s all a set-up. Stefani and “X” (as he’s identified in the credits) lured Zola there with the promise of fast, easy money with the intention of tricking her into turning tricks.
Of the four characters, Zola has the most sense which really isn’t saying much. The sensible middle-ager in me would like to know why she’d willingly take a trip with a people she just met. Isn’t that asking for trouble? ANYWAY, the story gets crazier as the weekend devolves into a series of misadventures involving guns, clients, sex-for-money, an attempted robbery, a shooting and a botched suicide. It’s supposed to be comical and I might have laughed if I didn’t find the characters in Zola so unappealing. I really didn’t like these people. Watching them in action, I’m reminded how little I understand about this generation. Half the time, I don’t understand what they’re saying. As for what they post on social media, I’m simultaneously befuddled and appalled. There’s a scene in Zola where Stefani and Derrick film a video of themselves singing and jumping around to “Hannah Montana” in the car. There’s a lot of tongue sticking-out and booty-shaking. They look like imbeciles. I’m willing to concede my dislike of this form of amusement is a generational thing, that I’m too old to “get it”, but if my teenage goddaughter ever posted something like that on Instagram, I’d be furious. Thank God she’s too much of a lady for that.
As much as I detest the characters, I have to admit the actors playing them give good performances. Keough is the real stand-out. Her character Stefani is a real piece of work. She is the personification of trash. She’s selfish, manipulative, immature and nasty. She has an annoying voice. She always speaks with this exaggerated, culturally-appropriated accent. I just wanted her to shut up and stop talking. That, my friends, is a sign of an exceptional performance. Provoking such an intense reaction from yours truly is an amazing feat. As unreliable narrator Zola, Paige does solid work too. She might not be the brightest bulb in the pack, but she’s smarter than the nitwits around her. Colman is also good as X, a guy who can shift into dangerous mode at a second’s notice. You know he means business when he affects an African accent.
Stylistically, Zola evokes 70s-era filmmaking with its gritty cinematography and opening titles featuring the Roman numeral copyright date under the title. It’s very atmospheric with its surroundings. A huge liquor store takes on a surreal quality with Derrick aimlessly wandering the aisles while waiting to hear back from Stefani. There are recurring images of dark roads, blurry stoplights and hotels, all of which emphasize the lonely, empty lives of the main characters. At the same time, it’s every bit a 21st century film with the key role social media plays in the narrative. Sentences are constantly punctuated by chirps familiar to Twitter users. At one point, the film briefly changes perspectives so Stefani can tell her side of the story. The way she presents herself as a good Christian girl clad in pink is something else. She utters one line that will surely land her a few weeks in Hell.
Directed and co-written by relative newcomer Janicza Bravo (most of her work is in television), Zola is bold and daring while consistently getting on your nerves. It doesn’t paint a flattering portrait of the social media generation. In fact, it affirms what many say about each generation being dumber than the last. I mostly sat in stunned silence as Zola unfolded. I couldn’t believe the dumb things these young people said and did. When I see such things, I weep for the future. I thought I hated Zola, but now that I’ve had time to ponder, maybe I don’t. I hated the characters, but the film itself is kind of interesting. I might have to watch it again although I’m not sure if I want to spend any additional time with Zola and the gang.
