Like the viral Twitter thread it’s inspired by, “Zola” begins with an invitation: “Y’all wanna hear a story about why me and this bitch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.” With #TheStory, A’ziah “Zola” King delivered on her promise, and so does Janicza Bravo’s adaptation. The dark comedy sees Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, lured to Florida by a customer she meets at work. Promising big money for dancing at a club, Stefani (Riley Keough) convinces Zola to come along for a road trip.
The pair’s blossoming friendship turns acrid long before they even reach their destination — a transformation that Paige is able to convey with body language alone. Even when she’s saying little, Zola is communicating plenty. Her expressive eyes play a pivotal role in narrating the story.
Stefani, Zola quickly realizes, is insufferable. And racist. Their texting chemistry does not translate IRL, and Zola is uncomfortable in her presence. It doesn’t help that Stefani comes with a lot of baggage. She’s brought along a mysterious, imposing “roommate” (Colman Domingo) — who turns out to be her pimp — and her boyfriend (Nicholas Braun), a dude who is hopelessly in love and just generally hopeless, prompting Zola to ask if he was homeschooled.
Zola gets way more than she bargained for. She came to strip at a club only to find her services offered on Backpage. She wants no part of what’s going on, telling Stefani, “This is messy. You are messy. Your brain is broke.” But Zola feels a sense of protectiveness over Stefani despite her manipulation, and Stefani’s pimp makes it clear that Zola is not calling the shots — and she shouldn’t even think about trying to leave.
As much humor as there is in “Zola,” the film can be deeply uncomfortable to watch. Like Zola says, it’s “full of suspense,” making for a wild, surreal ride that can feel exhilarating or depleting depending on the scene. It’s almost too immersive. Zola and Stefani get into some pretty terrifying and demoralizing situations, and it’s difficult to bear witness to some of the madness that takes place.
“Zola” is the first, though unlikely to be the last, of its kind: a feature film based on a Twitter thread. It’s also, in part, about social media. The Sundance pic playfully nods to its source material with sound notifications, but it also channels the chaotic energy of King’s epic Twitter tale and grapples with the divide between online and offline relationships and personas. “Zola” is indeed messy, but its brain is certainly not broke.
“Zola” is now in theaters.
