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IMDbPro

Zola

  • 20202020
  • RR
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
13K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,419
229
Riley Keough and Taylour Paige in Zola (2020)
Trailer 1
Play trailer2:15
5 Videos
94 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Crime
  • Drama
A stripper named Zola embarks on a wild road trip to Florida.A stripper named Zola embarks on a wild road trip to Florida.A stripper named Zola embarks on a wild road trip to Florida.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
13K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,419
229
  • Director
    • Janicza Bravo
  • Writers
    • Janicza Bravo(screenplay by)
    • Jeremy O. Harris(screenplay by)
    • A'Ziah King(based on the tweets by)
  • Stars
    • Taylour Paige
    • Riley Keough
    • Nicholas Braun
Top credits
  • Director
    • Janicza Bravo
  • Writers
    • Janicza Bravo(screenplay by)
    • Jeremy O. Harris(screenplay by)
    • A'Ziah King(based on the tweets by)
  • Stars
    • Taylour Paige
    • Riley Keough
    • Nicholas Braun
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 137User reviews
    • 122Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 8 wins & 37 nominations

    Videos5

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:15
    Official Trailer
    Zola
    Trailer 2:15
    Zola
    Zola
    Trailer 2:15
    Zola
    How 'Zola' Turns a Tweetstorm Into an Indie Movie
    Clip 3:59
    How 'Zola' Turns a Tweetstorm Into an Indie Movie
    'Zola' Turns Dancer's Real-Life Tweet-Storm Into Sundance's Buzziest Title
    Clip 15:06
    'Zola' Turns Dancer's Real-Life Tweet-Storm Into Sundance's Buzziest Title

    Photos94

    Riley Keough and Taylour Paige in Zola (2020)
    Janicza Bravo, Riley Keough, and Taylour Paige in Zola (2020)
    TS Madison in Zola (2020)
    Janicza Bravo, Riley Keough, and Taylour Paige in Zola (2020)
    Riley Keough and Taylour Paige in Zola (2020)
    Colman Domingo in Zola (2020)
    Taylour Paige in Zola (2020)
    Riley Keough and Taylour Paige in Zola (2020)
    Taylour Paige at an event for The 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards (2022)
    Joi McMillon at an event for The 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards (2022)
    Taylour Paige at an event for The 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards (2022)
    Taylour Paige (/name/nm3666749/) at The IMDb Portrait Studio at the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards

    Top cast

    Edit
    Taylour Paige
    Taylour Paige
    • Zolaas Zola
    Riley Keough
    Riley Keough
    • Stefanias Stefani
    Nicholas Braun
    Nicholas Braun
    • Derrekas Derrek
    • (as Nick Braun)
    Ari'el Stachel
    Ari'el Stachel
    • Seanas Sean
    Nelcie Souffrant
    Nelcie Souffrant
    • Gailas Gail
    Nasir Rahim
    Nasir Rahim
    • Johnathanas Johnathan
    Amelia Rose Monteagudo
    • Stefani's Babyas Stefani's Baby
    Colman Domingo
    Colman Domingo
    • Xas X
    Jason Mitchell
    Jason Mitchell
    • Dionas Dion
    TS Madison
    TS Madison
    • Hollywoodas Hollywood
    Latasha Glenn
    • Danceras Dancer
    Kalesha Johnson
    • Danceras Dancer
    Natalie Mimms
    • Danceras Dancer
    Shadae Mitchell
    • Danceras Dancer
    Oleika Redd
    • Danceras Dancer
    Tommy Foxhill
    • Tommy Tonyas Tommy Tony
    Ben Bladon
    Ben Bladon
    • Kayas Kay
    Tony Demil
    Tony Demil
    • Joeas Joe
    • Director
      • Janicza Bravo
    • Writers
      • Janicza Bravo(screenplay by)
      • Jeremy O. Harris(screenplay by)
      • A'Ziah King(based on the tweets by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Based on a true story told in a popular twitter thread containing 148 tweets written by Detroit waitress A'Ziah "Zola" King in October 2015. The story quickly went viral, garnering the recognition of people such as Missy Elliott, Solange and Ava DuVernay. About a month later, Rolling Stone magazine published an article interviewing people involved in the story.
    • Goofs
      Zola has said that the scene with the rival pimp being shot never happened. She made it up to embellish her story and make it seem more interesting.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Zola: You wanna hear a story about how me and this bitch here fell out? It's kinda long, but it's full of suspense.

    • Connections
      Referenced in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies That Will Blow Your Mind in 2020 (2020)
    • Soundtracks
      But Not For Me
      Written by Johnnie Louise Richardson

      Performed by The Clickettes

      Published by Idea Music

      Courtesy of Resnik Group

      By arrangement with Gravelpit Music on behalf of Capp Records, Inc. and Music Supervisor, Inc.

    User reviews137

    Review
    Top review
    Stripper Twitter War: The Movie
    Films have been based on one-line pitches. Brief synopses, and, perhaps most infamously a napkin (Jean Luc-Godard and Menahem Golan at Cannes for KING LEAR); therefore, a long series of tweets might seem like a encyclopedia by a comparison as the basis of ZOLA. Of course, it's not the length of the basic text that is crucial in turning it into a successful movie, but, how it's adapted.

    Here, Director Janicza Bravo and her co-Writer Jeremy O. Harris warn the viewer up front that their screenplay is only "mostly true". The script follows the outline of the tweets (the names have mostly been changed save for the title character). A part-time Detroit stripper Zola (Taylour Paige) meets another exotic dancer, Stefani (Riley Keough) and after a fast friendship the pair head down to Tampa to have fun and make some money dancing. Stefani initiates the invite and she is accompanied by her slacker boyfriend Derrek (Nicholas Braun) and a scary dude referred to as "X" (Colman Domingo). Zola quickly comes to realize that it was all a ruse to actually have the two woman rake in dough as prostitutes.

    The early part of the film with Zola and Stefani texting back and forth, making videos, carousing and having a good time is energetic and well paced. It's when the story turns darker that the movie falls down. The tone is never consistent - one moment someone is assaulted, the next they are prancing around. Nothing is ever sustained. Still, the tonal issues pale versus the lack of a clear and strong perspective. The entire project is supposedly based on Zola's tweets, yet that device is dropped fairly early (save for the constant Twitter whistle sound used to punctuate scenes - even when no tweeting is going on). There are scenes that follow Derreck and X. Stefani gets a quick montage showing her side of the story for a minute or two. There is no momentum. No drive. Just a string of scenes loosely based on tweets.

    Paige and Keough are vibrant actresses and give the film what spark it has. Domingo is genuinely frightening while Braun is fitfully amusing as the hapless patsy in the game. The movie is shot on 16mm apparently to either mimic a documentary look, or, perhaps to represent what grainy cellphone footage may look like - but, it succeeds at neither. It just looks washed out, far too often.

    While there is some inherent interest in such a bizarre 'true story', there simply isn't enough on screen to justify a feature length film (even at 86 minutes). The Tweets are still online, as is the magazine article (along with a reddit thread by Stefani). Read the. The movie plays exactly like what it is: A movie based on a magazine article* which in turn is based on a bunch of tweets.

    I anxiously await TikTok The Movie.

    * David Kushner's Rolling Stone article "Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted"
    helpful•8
    6
    • gortx
    • Jul 22, 2021

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 30, 2021 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • 101films
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • @zola
    • Filming locations
      • Ranch House Grill - South Tampa, Florida, USA
    • Production companies
      • Killer Films
      • Gigi Films
      • Ramona Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,844,399
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,200,013
      • Jul 4, 2021
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,998,097
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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