In what is surely a cinematic first, Janicza Bravo's Zola is based on a string of viral mostly-true, somewhat fabricated tweets posted by Aziah King in 2015 to Twitter, which went on to inspire the Rolling Stones article "Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind The Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted". Is it at all possible that 148 sensational tweets could lead to an even remotely good film?
A part-time stripper is convinced by her new friend to travel to Florida for a money-making opportunity, but soon finds out she's in over her head when the trip turns into a living nightmare. Best not to spoil the details of their ordeal for those uninitiated, Zola documents the rollercoaster weekend of its titular storyteller (played by Taylour Paige), Stefani (Riley Keough) and "friends" (including Nicholas Braun, Colman Domingo and Jason Mitchell).
Packaged as a dark comedy-drama, Zola is a remarkably balanced, expertly drawn and thrillingly audacious examination of reality, social media and perspective. A film whose dark core counteracts the dreamy visual language that punctuates sobering scenes of a messy reality, Zola articulately depicts the rather scary, filter-perfect social media ages like few have managed to do so far, with a film that is as wholly compelling as it is socially conscious; thanks to the brave and bold directorial decisions made, Bravo's feature is dripping with style and excitingly cinematic, dazzling while still exposing a seedy underbelly and danger that lurks throughout. Mica Levi's hypnotic score is operating in a similar capacity, its synth-driven soundscape serving a dreamy but disorientating tone.
It cannot be overstated how well co-screenwriters Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris translate the unusual source material for the screen. An amalgamation of genres - a thriller, a comedy, an action film and a horror all in one - Zola thrives with every tone and genre it plays with. By providing so many laughs, the moments of severity pierces through the veil of entertainment with increased force and register with greater shock, always ensuring it remains a thrilling time at the picture but is never far from driving its themes and messages home. It, rather smartly, never attempts to escape its Twitter roots either, placing you in the moment with the characters but using narration lifted directly from the infamous tweets, as well as sound effects to auditorily enrich the experience, to remind you of the heightened space that these platforms tend to offer.
With a terrific ensemble, Zola is brought to life but actors performing with conviction and a detailed understanding of their character and how they operate in this reality-blurred world. Taylour Paige is wonderful as the titular Zola, anchoring us through the chaotic-by-design odyssey with excellent line delivery and reactions that lead to some of the film's biggest laughs. Stefani is the definition of white trash (it's giving me.... "catch me outside") and Riley Keough absolutely runs with it, with a gloriously unhinged, almost offensive depiction that she dials to perfection. While supported by strong performances from Braun and Domingo in particular, it is Paige and Keough who provide Zola with the dynamic needed to succeed, and we are witness to some defining, hilarious work as a result of their commitment and chemistry.
For whatever reason - be it a complete misunderstanding of the generation that uses it or a conceptually flawed vehicle - social media's depiction in modern movies has left a lot to be desired, often feeling dated and misinterpreted before it has even hit our screens. Zola joins a very select handful - Ingrid Goes West, Eighth Grade, Searching and perhaps Nerve are the only titles that come to mind - of films propelled by social media that feels like it is saying something of merit; in such a way, it feels like a contemporary masterpiece that will be referenced in years to come. A tonally varied but wonderfully controlled piece that could have very easily felt trashy and voyeuristic in another's hands feels miraculous in Janicza Bravo's, making Zola a truly remarkable, exciting and creative achievement.