Our Thoughts On: Zola
IN the first of many collaborative film reviews, the copy team and contributors share their short form reveiws on Janicza bravo’s zola.
By cita, Maiya, & contributors
7.14.2021
The film we’ve all been waiting for thanks to Jeremy O'Harris’ social media accounts, Janicza Bravo’s A24 debut, Taylour Paige’s undeniable breadth of work, and of course, A’Ziah ‘Zola’ King herself. Based off of OG Zola’s Twitter thread from 2015, Zola was a highly anticipated internet phenomena.
And We’re Left With…
The film we’ve all been waiting for thanks to Jeremy O'Harris’ social media accounts, Janicza Bravo’s A24 debut, Taylour Paige’s undeniable breadth of work, and of course, A’Ziah ‘Zola’ King herself. Based off of OG Zola’s Twitter thread from 2015, Zola was a highly anticipated internet phenomena.
And We’re Left With…
“Zola! You can't make this shit up. Had me asking if Twitter-Born-Cinema is my new favorite genre?? Like? It’s as hilariously observant as it is uncomfortably educational making it the unapologetic anthem of the summer. It's kind of like a Hustlers meets Ferris Bueller’s Day off fever dream. Not to mention the respectful runtime of 1hr 26mins! Exactly the kind of movie we’ve been asking for.”
- SINCLAIR DANIEL
“As an adaptation nerd, you could maybe use a point of view in order to change our perception of the original. It felt closer to a replication of the Twitter thread.”
- BETH
“Watching Zola felt sort of like when your best friend starts telling you a crazy story but then everyone else starts chiming in and interrupting and by the time the story is over you’re just like “I wonder how my best friend wanted to tell it.”’
- KATE DIRIENZI
“feels like drugs.
entirely theatrical.
see it with your dad and your ex.”
-SARINA FREDA
“Zola was the indie-mainstream-art-action-sex film I was desperately missing. I can’t 100% say genre and I think this is due to the narrative structure. I loved the way it explored the textual story to visual, and played with monologue versus dialogue.”
-CITA
“Idk bro it’s just a fun, exciting, sparkly movie. It’s a rollercoaster with hard truths! I’m a fan”
-JEAN PFLUM
“Zola trusts its viewer so much. Maybe too much? I loved feeling like I was smart enough to “get it” until I didn’t “get it”, BUT maybe that was the “getting it” ? Regardless, the sound and acting made me swooonnnn….”
- MICKEY GALVIN
“Stays on its moments for just a little too long. I left wondering if I liked it or I was supposed to like it because it was pretty. Which it was. It was so fucking pretty and shiny and the outfits and the makeup and the dancing and the hot, fantastic actors. It’s possibly a 90 min wet nightmare?”
-MAIYA
“Zola is a one and a half hour internet age plasticine impression of a Dalí with more florescents but the same amount of booty.”
- NICK WEBSTER
“I had never read the Twitter thread, but the film delivered the frenetically driven pace that comes with online story consumption. Each scene tumbling through dreamy, disturbing, and gut twistingly funny.”
- NOAH WITKE MELE
- SINCLAIR DANIEL
“As an adaptation nerd, you could maybe use a point of view in order to change our perception of the original. It felt closer to a replication of the Twitter thread.”
- BETH
“Watching Zola felt sort of like when your best friend starts telling you a crazy story but then everyone else starts chiming in and interrupting and by the time the story is over you’re just like “I wonder how my best friend wanted to tell it.”’
- KATE DIRIENZI
“feels like drugs.
entirely theatrical.
see it with your dad and your ex.”
-SARINA FREDA
“Zola was the indie-mainstream-art-action-sex film I was desperately missing. I can’t 100% say genre and I think this is due to the narrative structure. I loved the way it explored the textual story to visual, and played with monologue versus dialogue.”
-CITA
“Idk bro it’s just a fun, exciting, sparkly movie. It’s a rollercoaster with hard truths! I’m a fan”
-JEAN PFLUM
“Zola trusts its viewer so much. Maybe too much? I loved feeling like I was smart enough to “get it” until I didn’t “get it”, BUT maybe that was the “getting it” ? Regardless, the sound and acting made me swooonnnn….”
- MICKEY GALVIN
“Stays on its moments for just a little too long. I left wondering if I liked it or I was supposed to like it because it was pretty. Which it was. It was so fucking pretty and shiny and the outfits and the makeup and the dancing and the hot, fantastic actors. It’s possibly a 90 min wet nightmare?”
-MAIYA
“Zola is a one and a half hour internet age plasticine impression of a Dalí with more florescents but the same amount of booty.”
- NICK WEBSTER
“I had never read the Twitter thread, but the film delivered the frenetically driven pace that comes with online story consumption. Each scene tumbling through dreamy, disturbing, and gut twistingly funny.”
- NOAH WITKE MELE