Zola

R

Released Jun 30, 2021

1 hr. 27 min.

Comedy

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

TRAILER

for Zola: Trailer 1

List

88%

253 Reviews

Tomatometer

68%

250+ Verified Ratings

Audience Score

"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.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Feb 13

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Max

Apple TV

Watch Zola with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Consensus

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

Read Audience Reviews

Jessica B

Made me believe in the power of independent films again - hilarious, unsettling, honest, affecting, real, original. True home run.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/07/21

Full Review

Peter

I liked it! I was also on Twitter when Zolas tweets went viral.. so I was able to connect to it more I suppose.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/01/21

Full Review

Gabriella

It ended weird and passed by quickly. Not that good.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/01/21

Full Review

Ivy E.

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/01/21

Full Review

Victoria T

hella drama, action packed, realistic elements, hella good movie

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/01/21

Full Review

Stephanie

I thought it was cute. A little kiki and cautionary tale rolled into one.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/01/21

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Janicza Bravo

Director

Taylour Paige

Zola

Riley Keough

Stefani

Nicholas Braun

Derrek

Colman Domingo

X

Ari'el Stachel

Sean

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

95%

92%

Hundreds of Beavers

TRAILER

for Hundreds of Beavers

67%

31%

The Stranger

TRAILER

for The Stranger

50%

92%

The Stolen Valley

TRAILER

for The Stolen Valley

93%

95%

Dune: Part Two

TRAILER

for Dune: Part Two

71%

60%

Immaculate

TRAILER

for Immaculate

82%

75%

In the Land of Saints and Sinners

TRAILER

for In the Land of Saints and Sinners

69%

81%

Sweet Dreams

TRAILER

for Sweet Dreams

56%

83%

DogMan

TRAILER

for DogMan

%

39%

Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer

%

%

An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th

TRAILER

for An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2021

2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

The 88 Most Anticipated Movies of 2021

How the ‘Zola’ Cast and Creators Turned a Viral Tweet Thread Into the Summer’s Most Talked-About Movie

24:56

Zola: Trailer 1

2:14

View more videos

View more photos

Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

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.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 15, 2021

Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

All in all, the tale of what happened in the aftermath of her extended saga sounds a lot more fun than the adventure itself.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 19, 2021

Full Review

Simran Hans

Monocle

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.

Aug 20, 2021

Full Review

Jillian Chilingerian

Offscreen With Jillian

a mesmerizing stripper misadventure fever dream

Aug 22, 2023

Full Review

Mo Muzammal

Vague Visages

Zola is riveting, and the film’s rich array of cinematic techniques and performances upend convention, even if its narrative and story tend to falter.

Jul 27, 2023

Full Review

Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

The discordant soundtrack, the eerie chirps of Zola’s iPhone, the ghost-like people repeating the same actions over and over again — make no mistake, this is a horror.

Jul 25, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

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
Executive Producer: A'Ziah King, Jennifer Konawal, David Kushner
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
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now