Zola | |
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Directed by | Janicza Bravo |
Screenplay by |
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Based on |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Ari Wegner |
Edited by | Joi McMillon |
Music by | Mica Levi |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | A24 |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $5 million [2] |
Box office | $5.2 million [3] [4] [5] |
Zola (stylized as @zola) is a 2020 American black comedy crime film directed by Janicza Bravo and co-written by Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris. It is based on a viral Twitter thread from 2015 by A'Ziah "Zola" King and the resulting Rolling Stone article "Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted" by David Kushner. Starring Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, and Colman Domingo, the film follows a part-time stripper who is convinced by her new friend to go on a road trip to Tampa, Florida to earn money dancing, only to get in over her head.
Zola premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. It was theatrically released in the United States on June 30, 2021, following a year's delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [6] It received highly positive reviews from critics, with praise directed towards the screenplay, performances (particularly those of Paige, Keough, and Domingo), and editing, and earned a leading seven nominations at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay with two wins for Best Female Lead for Paige and Best Editing for Joi McMillon.
A'Ziah "Zola" King, a self-assured waitress and part-time stripper in Detroit, meets Stefani, an outgoing and crass fellow stripper, while serving her at work. Stefani invites Zola to dance with her at a club that night, and they become friends. The next day, Stefani proposes that Zola join her on a road trip to Tampa, Florida, the location of a strip club where Stefani claims they can make significant money. Zola sets out for Tampa with Stefani, her mysterious roommate X, and Stefani's dimwitted boyfriend Derrek.
On arriving in Tampa, Stefani, Zola, and X leave Derrek at a seedy motel while they visit the club where Stefani claims her friends earned over $5,000 in one night. They perform but do not get nearly as much as Stefani insisted they would. Zola learns that Stefani and X have posted photos of her and Stefani in a Backpage advertisement, offering them for sex. Zola tries to leave, but X threatens her, revealing himself to be Stefani's pimp.
X takes the women to an upscale hotel, where Stefani proceeds to have sex with a male client. Zola, who doesn't wish to participate, is incredulous when she learns X charges only $150 per client. Zola edits the Backpage ad, changing the rate to $500 to help Stefani earn more money. By the end of the night, Stefani has made over $8,000. X is initially insulted by Zola's intervention but quickly grows impressed. Meanwhile, Derrek, left to his own devices, befriends a man named Dion whom he meets at the motel. When X, Stefani, and Zola return to the motel, X is enraged to discover that Derrek told Dion their reason for visiting Tampa. Worried that Dion and his associates will rob them, X forces the group to flee.
After arriving at another hotel, X arranges for Stefani to see more clients at various locations, while a reluctant Zola stands by to ensure Stefani's safety. When Derrek realizes Stefani is again engaging in prostitution, he argues with her, revealing to Zola that Stefani has manipulated other dancers into unwittingly participating in similar prostitution rackets. Zola is angered and loses all trust in Stefani. Derrek and Stefani's quarreling is interrupted when X bursts in with Baybe, his lover, and madam, who is armed with a gun. After calming the situation, X gives Zola a gun for the women's protection, and Stefani and Zola are sent out so Stefani can continue to meet with clients.
After Stefani engages in a gang bang at a private residence, the two women visit another hotel, where a client has responded to their Backpage ad. When they knock on the client's door, he grabs Stefani and forces her into the room. A terrified Zola flees and calls X and Derrek on her phone. The three return to the room and find the men inside are Dion and an accomplice, armed with shotguns, who have posed as clients to rob Stefani of her earnings. At gunpoint, X offers the men $50,000 and possession of Zola, if they let him and Derrek leave with Stefani, who has been beaten unconscious. As Zola is digitally penetrated against her will by Dion, X manages to draw the gun Zola has in her purse and then shoots Dion in the throat. They flee the hotel, throwing Dion's guns into the Tampa Bay.
They eventually arrive at a large, luxurious home X shares with Baybe. X finally lets Zola leave and proclaims his possession of Stefani. Distraught, Derrek throws himself over a balcony, landing on the concrete below and injuring his head. Zola, Stefani, and X drive Derrek to the hospital. On the way, Stefani proclaims her love for Zola, but the exhausted Zola looks out the window and ignores her.
In October 2015, Detroit waitress A'Ziah "Zola" King posted a 148-tweet thread about a trip she took to Florida with a stripper named Jessica; the story, containing details of prostitution, murder and an attempted suicide, quickly went viral, garnering the recognition of people such as Missy Elliott, Solange Knowles and Ava DuVernay. [7] About a month later, Rolling Stone 's David Kushner published an article interviewing people involved in the story; while the article noted several inconsistencies, and King has admitted to embellishing some of the more sensational details, most of those involved have admitted to the general events. [7]
In February 2016, it was announced James Franco would direct the film from a screenplay by Andrew Neel and Mike Roberts. Franco, Vince Jolivette, Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, and Kara Baker were to produce the film under their Rabbit Bandini Productions, Killer Films and Gigi Films banners, respectively. [8] In January 2018, it was announced that the film was initially set to begin production in February 2018, but was shelved following sexual misconduct allegations against Franco. [9] [10] In June 2018, it was announced that Janicza Bravo would direct, replacing Franco, and that A24 would distribute. [11] In October 2018, Taylour Paige was cast in the lead role. [12] That month, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, Colman Domingo and Jason Mitchell joined the cast, [13] [14] and in November 2018, Ari'el Stachel joined the cast. [15]
Principal photography began on October 29, 2018. [16] The entire film was shot in 27 days. [5] Production concluded on December 7, 2018. [17]
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Awards pre-screening. [18] Sony Pictures Releasing, under the Stage 6 Films banner, acquired the international rights (excluding Canada and Japan). [19] [20] It was released in the United States on June 30, 2021. [21]
In the United States and Canada, Zola was projected to gross $2–4 million from 1,468 theaters in its opening weekend. [2] It made $505,000 on its first day of release and $282,000 on its second. It went on to debut to $1.2 million in its opening weekend and $2 million over the five-day frame, finishing ninth at the box office. [22] It fell 48% to $620,000 in its second weekend, finishing 10th. [23]
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 252 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Zola captures the stranger-than-fiction appeal of the viral Twitter thread that inspired it – and announces director/co-writer Janicza Bravo as a filmmaker to watch." [24] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [25] PostTrak reported that 68% of audience members gave Zola positive score, with 46% saying they would definitely recommend it. [22]
Writing for The A.V. Club , Shannon Miller gave the film a grade of "B" and said: "Zola is first and foremost a zany, catastrophic road-trip dramedy, one that balances the whimsy of social media with the harrowing reality of being trapped in a dangerous situation." [26] Critic Owen Gleiberman of Variety called Zola "a true story so extravagant it feels like it must have been made up. It's a mini volcano of sex and violence and danger and deception. It's a close-to-the-bone portrait of women who work in the sex industry. It's a youthquake as real as American Honey . It's a piece of pure filmmaking bravura." [27]
Peter Debruge, also writing for Variety , praised the "virtuoso filmmaking and a pair of killer performances" but wrote: "Sure, it's fun to see a movie skewer the vapid soullessness of social media and the unregulated economy of male desire, but Zola ultimately rings hollow. The actors are fearless, and yet, how much do we know about these characters in the end? The answer: something of their values, but almost nothing of their lives." [28]
Writing for The Face , Ludwig Hurtado said the film was a canonical part of a genre he named "Tampa-core," which he described as presenting a "hyper-stylised vision of Florida" with "all the violence and drama of a classic western"; he included Waves and Spring Breakers as comparable titles. [29]
In 2021, Zola was nominated for seven Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Screenplay. [39] A'Ziah "Zola" King was not nominated as a writer for the movie, nor was she invited to attend. [39] King was frustrated by this snub, writing on Twitter, "I think it's hilarious ZOLA is up for 7 awards and no one thought to invite me nor include me IN the writers award category. As if there would've been a film or a script to write if I didn't um… write it?" [39] She said that her issue was only with A24, as writers Harris and Bravo had been very supportive to her. [39]
Danielle Riley Keough is an American actress and the eldest grandchild of Elvis Presley. She made her feature film debut in a supporting part in the musical biopic The Runaways (2010), portraying Marie Currie. Keough subsequently starred in the independent thriller The Good Doctor (2011), before being cast in a minor role in Steven Soderbergh's comedy film Magic Mike (2012). She had her first big-budget release in the action feature Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
Christine Vachon is an American film producer active in the American independent film sector.
Nicholas Joseph Braun is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Hirsch in the HBO series Succession (2018–2023), for which he has received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He has also appeared in several films, including Sky High (2005), Princess Protection Program (2009), Red State (2011), Prom (2011), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), The Watch (2012), Date and Switch (2014), How to Be Single (2016), Zola (2021) and Cat Person (2023).
Colman Jason Domingo is an American actor, playwright, and director. Prominent on both screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, and nominations for an Academy Award, and two Tony Awards. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.
Stage 6 Films, Inc. is an American film production label of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions that acquires and produces feature films that are low budget and that are being released direct-to-disc, on demand, or through streaming services. Some of their films are also being released theatrically. Once a film is finished, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions will decide if the film will be released theatrically or on a different platform.
Killer Films is a New York City-based independent film production company founded in 1995 by film producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler. The company has produced many acclaimed independent films over the past two decades including Far From Heaven, Boys Don't Cry, One Hour Photo, Kids, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Happiness, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, I Shot Andy Warhol, Swoon, I'm Not There, Kill Your Darlings, Still Alice and Carol. Killer Films also executive produced Todd Haynes' five episode HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce, which went on to win five Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
A24 Films LLC, commonly referred to as A24, is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. The company is based in Manhattan.
Taylour Dominique Paige-Angulo is an American actress. She is best known for playing the title role in the black comedy crime film Zola (2020), which won her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Other notable performances were in the VH1 sports drama series Hit the Floor (2013–2016), as well as in the films Jean of the Joneses (2016), White Boy Rick (2018), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020), Boogie (2021), and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024).
Justin Kelly is an American film director, screenwriter and film editor. He came to prominence as director and writer of Sundance Film Festival 2015 select I Am Michael, starring James Franco and Zachary Quinto. He then wrote and directed King Cobra, which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival starring Christian Slater and James Franco, followed by Sony Pictures 2018 release Welcome the Stranger starring Riley Keough and Caleb Landry Jones, and most recently JT LeRoy (2018) starring Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern.
Sasha Bianca Lane is an American actress. She made her film debut in American Honey (2016), directed by Andrea Arnold, before portraying Hunter C-20 in the first season of the Disney+ television series Loki, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
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Janicza Bravo is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Her films include Gregory Go Boom, a winner of the short-film jury award at the Sundance Film Festival; Lemon, co-written with Brett Gelman; and Zola, co-written with playwright Jeremy O. Harris.
Lemon is an American comedy-drama film directed by Janicza Bravo in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Bravo and Brett Gelman. It stars Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Shiri Appleby, Fred Melamed, Rhea Perlman, David Paymer, Gillian Jacobs, Jon Daly, Martin Starr, Megan Mullally, Jeff Garlin, Elizabeth De Razzo, Marla Gibbs and Nia Long.
Joi McMillon is an American film editor. In 2003, she graduated from Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. McMillon is known for her work on the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight (2016), and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), both winning several respective accolades.
Ari Aster is an American filmmaker. After garnering initial recognition for the short film The Strange Thing About the Johnsons (2011), he became best known for writing and directing Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019), and Beau Is Afraid (2023), all of which were released by A24. His films have been noted for their unsettling combination of horror, dark comedy, and depictions of graphic violence. He co-founded the production company Square Peg with Danish producer Lars Knudsen in 2018.
Jeremy O. Harris is an American playwright, actor and screenwriter. Harris gained prominence for his 2018 Slave Play, which received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Play. Harris is also known for his work in film and television. He produced and co-wrote the A24 film Zola (2021), for which he received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. He acted in the HBO Max series Gossip Girl (2021), the Netflix series Emily in Paris (2022), and in the film The Sweet East (2023).
Greener Grass is a 2019 American surrealist satirical black comedy film written and directed by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe in their feature directorial debuts. It stars DeBoer, Luebbe, Beck Bennett, Neil Casey, Mary Holland, Janicza Bravo, and D'Arcy Carden. The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and was released in select theaters and on VOD in the United States on October 18, 2019, by IFC Midnight.
Sharp Stick is a 2022 American sex comedy film written, directed, and produced by Lena Dunham. It stars Kristine Froseth, Jon Bernthal, Sabbat, Scott Speedman, Dunham, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Taylour Paige, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2022, and was released theatrically in the United States on July 29, 2022, by Utopia. It received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on video-on-demand platforms on August 16, 2022.
David Hinojosa is an American film producer, and founding partner of 2AM. Hinojosa has produced Nasty Baby (2015), Beatriz at Dinner (2017), First Reformed (2017), Vox Lux (2018), Zola (2020), The World to Come (2020), Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022), Past Lives (2023), and Omni Loop (2024).