“Zola” could have been a unique wild ride that is witty while foul, but unfortunately it does not have much substance to hold on to—except for a trio of good performances.
A24, the independent powerhouse has made amazing films with a variety of styles and themes. Their filmography is eclectic: from cabin fever folklore in “The Witch” (2015), a space odyssey dealing with loneliness and love in “High Life” (2018), to more grounded work like “The Florida Project” (2017). Unfortunately, A24’s most recent picture, “Zola,” feels more like a misstep. The film tries to be two things at once while pushing a third aspect into the mix. It does not blend well, making the film fall in-between the gap of being unique and turning into complete disarray.
A Detroit waitress, Zola (Taylour Paige), begins a new relationship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough). As Stefani seduces her, she convinces Zola to join her for a couple of days in Florida so they could dance and party together, but things are not what they seem. The next 48-hours will be a crazy ride involving a pimp who does not have a name (Colman Domingo), Tampa gangsters, a clueless boyfriend (Nicholas Braun), and a lot of other unexpected adventures that you must “see it to believe.”
“Y’all wanna hear a story about why me and this b*tch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense” is how we are introduced to the film and its characters. Through freeze frames, fourth wall breaks, and quick notes, Zola’s voice is guiding the audience during the film. She tells the viewer specific details on the actions taking place, minor reactions, and lets us know when to pay attention to a particular character with lines like, “From here on out, watch every move this b*tch makes.”
The performances are the glue that holds “Zola” together from breaking apart and shattering into a larger mess than it already is. The film has a strong trio of performances with a fourth weak link attached to it. Colman Domingo delivers an acute and menacing performance as the unnamed pimp, Taylour Paige embraces the role of Zola nicely and with subtlety. Nicholas Braun is the film’s weak link, playing the squirmy simpleton who doesn’t what to do with his life. Don’t get me wrong; people can pull off roles like that, but the way Braun takes on the role will not convince the audience.
There is one person who stands out by a mile, and that is Riley Keough’s Stefani. When Riley Keough is cast, you know she is going to bring her all, and this film is no exception. Like in “American Honey” (2016), “Logan Lucky” (2017), and “Under the Silver Lake” (2018), she steals the scene once again. In “Zola,” Keough brings effervescent yet villainous energy; it is infectious throughout the entire film from the moment she appears on-screen. Even though her character is untrustworthy, the audience will care for her due to the strength of the performance.
On paper, you could compare “Zola” with Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers,” which was also distributed by A24. Both start with a sense of allure and a keen tone of what is about to come to the people involved while there is an underlying crime plot. Unlike “Spring Breakers,” which exaggerates itself and turns into self-indulgent twaddle, this film does not divulge itself fully into the crime aspect and benefits from it. In execution, “Zola” is far superior; still, it has some fractures that do not make ends meet.
Still, filmmaker Janicza Bravo has a strange but unique touch to her directing style. It’s interesting the way she implements social media on-screen while not making it look excessive or unrestrained. There have been many recent films that touch on the topic of social media, but most of them fail miserably. Out of the most recent attempts on this topic “Zola” does not take the cake; that role goes to Magnus von Horn’s “Sweat.” However, it still has a way that intrigues while buffers.
“Zola’s” weak spot is the ropy script. As the Twitter thread that inspired this film was funny, foul, and erring, the script does not match the impact that the tweets had. It still has its funny moments, but for most of it, there is not much to take in. The script could have benefited from some polishing. While “Zola” is a quickly-paced wild and messy ride that lacks substance, it has some aspects that hold the film together for long enough that it does not bother the viewer.
