Based of a Twitter thread is the modern day ‘based on the bestselling novel’, and Zola wears this label with pride. Zola follows the true-to-life account of Azaih AKA ‘Zola’ and her spontaneous trip to Florida with a group of enigmatic strangers that devolves into violence and coercion.

First and foremost, the curse of ‘based on a true story’ is that life doesn’t imitate art, and the scale of real events is far less than fictional counterparts . Zola is not the zaniest, wackiest or hijinks-filled crime story you’ll ever see, and though a large selling point was ‘you have to see it to believe it’, I can believe that something like this has happened tenfold. Have no doubts that Zola is an extraordinarily entertaining drama/crime/comedy, but understand that it’s grand finale is the first act of any crime fiction.

Zola is a unique and ubiquitous approach to storytelling; director Janicza Bravo brings a self-assured fast-paced social-media heavy stylization that would be cringeworthy by any lesser directors. The film is at it’s best when it indulges in it’s true-to-life aspect and invokes clashing perspectives/retellings of the events (done incredibly well in the 2018 real-life crime masterpiece American Animals). Evidently a film based upon 148 tweets can get a bit messy due to lack of content, Zola zooms through it’s story and uses its time wisely.

The cast is truly remarkable, Taylour Paige is fantastic as Zola, thrust into a world of misdeeds and misgivings by Riley Keough (Elvis Presley’s Granddaughter, wouldn’t ya know it?), as Stefani, the supportive stranger with a few skeletons in her closet. Colman Domingo is a scene stealer as the unpredictable X, Stefani’s “boyfriend“, whose intentions and temper are far from saintly. Lastly, Nicholas Braun is the cream of the crop as the well meaning but poor performing Derrick, Stefani’s “house-mate” who only wants the best for everyone but can’t figure out how to do it. Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog) cinematography is fantastic, every frame is an eye-catching portrait, with many thanks to the fantastic costuming and set designs.

Perhaps Zola would benefit from a tonal-shift, as it’s most concerning moments are often undercut by laughs; the scary thing is that most of this likely did happen, and the rabbit hole of sex-trafficking, coercion and violence plays out everyday just out of eye-line.
All that aside, Zola, as a film, is a delight that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Benefiting from an exceptional cast and assured direction, Zola is worth the watch, and even a tweet.

3.5 / 5