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Zola

Play trailer 2:14 Poster for Zola R 2021 1h 27m Comedy Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 256 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 250+ Verified Ratings
"Y'all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It's kind of long but full of suspense." Thus began the odyssey of one A'Ziah King, aka ZOLA. From acclaimed writer/director Janicza Bravo, Zola's stranger than fiction saga, which she first told in a now iconic series of viral, uproarious tweets, comes to dazzling cinematic life. Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, strikes up a new friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), who seduces her to join a weekend of dancing and partying in Florida. What at first seems like a glamorous trip full of "hoeism" rapidly transforms into a 48-hour journey involving a nameless pimp, an idiot boyfriend, some Tampa gangsters and other unexpected adventures in this wild, see-it-to-believe-it tale.
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Zola

Zola

What to Know

Critics Consensus

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.

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Audience Says

The sudden ending may leave some unsatisfied, but high energy, a distinctive look, and some solid acting make this trip worth taking.

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Critics Reviews

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Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association 12/15/2021
3/4
The filmmakers, writers and cast are so criminally funny they should all be hailed for shining a light on a serious subject and then arrested by the vice squad for their naughty humor. Go to Full Review Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald 11/19/2021
3/5
All in all, the tale of what happened in the aftermath of her extended saga sounds a lot more fun than the adventure itself. Go to Full Review Simran Hans Monocle 08/20/2021
It's very arch and very funny in its tone... It's sort of vibrating at this slightly scary frequency, and it really walks the line between comedy and drama. Go to Full Review Cain Noble-Davies FILMINK (Australia) 12/01/2024
16/20
… nothing short of brilliant … Go to Full Review Hector A. Gonzalez The Movie Buff 09/08/2024
D
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. Go to Full Review Annlee Ellingson CineWomen 07/29/2024
What started as a Twitter thread so epic it earned the hashtag #TheStory has been transformed into a wild and woolly big-screen adaptation that not only honors its audacious social-media origin story but marks the breakthrough of a bold, fresh voice. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jessica B 08/07/2021 Made me believe in the power of independent films again - hilarious, unsettling, honest, affecting, real, original. True home run. See more Peter 07/31/2021 I liked it! I was also on Twitter when Zolas tweets went viral.. so I was able to connect to it more I suppose. See more Gabriella 07/30/2021 It ended weird and passed by quickly. Not that good. See more Ivy E. 07/29/2021 I wanted to like this movie more because I thought it was more action packed, but it was slow building and the story felt incomplete. I enjoyed the comedic elements, the social references and acting, but I guess this is the result of writing a film from a series of tweets. See more Victoria T 07/26/2021 hella drama, action packed, realistic elements, hella good movie See more Stephanie 07/25/2021 I thought it was cute. A little kiki and cautionary tale rolled into one. See more Read all reviews
Zola

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Cast & Crew

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Janicza Bravo

Director

Taylour Paige

Zola

Riley Keough

Stefani

Nicholas Braun

Derrek

Colman Domingo

X

Ari'el Stachel

Sean

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Zola

How the ‘Zola’ Cast and Creators Turned a Viral Tweet Thread Into the Summer’s Most Talked-About Movie How the ‘Zola’ Cast and Creators Turned a Viral Tweet Thread Into the Summer’s Most Talked-About Movie 24:56 Zola: Trailer 1 Zola: Trailer 1 2:14 View more videos
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Zola

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Movie Info

Synopsis "Y'all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It's kind of long but full of suspense." Thus began the odyssey of one A'Ziah King, aka ZOLA. From acclaimed writer/director Janicza Bravo, Zola's stranger than fiction saga, which she first told in a now iconic series of viral, uproarious tweets, comes to dazzling cinematic life. Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, strikes up a new friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), who seduces her to join a weekend of dancing and partying in Florida. What at first seems like a glamorous trip full of "hoeism" rapidly transforms into a 48-hour journey involving a nameless pimp, an idiot boyfriend, some Tampa gangsters and other unexpected adventures in this wild, see-it-to-believe-it tale.
Director
Janicza Bravo
Producer
Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Gia Walsh, Kara Baker, Vince Jolivette, Elizabeth Haggard, Dave Franco
Screenwriter
Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris
Distributor
A24
Production Co
Killer Films, Ramona Films, Gigi Films
Rating
R (Graphic Nudity|A Sexual Assault|Language Throughout|Strong Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre
Comedy, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 30, 2021, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 14, 2021
Runtime
1h 27m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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