Zola (2021)
80%RT Audience Score: 68%
Awards & Nominations: 8 wins & 37 nominations
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.
Zola is the kind of movie that makes you want to call up your wildest friend and plan a spontaneous road trip, but then you remember that you’re not actually that cool. The film is a hilarious and thrilling ride that manages to balance humor and drama perfectly. The performances are all top-notch, but Colman Domingo steals the show as the charismatic and terrifying pimp. Zola is a must-see for anyone who’s ever made a questionable decision in the name of adventure.
Production Company(ies)
Zazen Produções
Distributor
A24
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Ranch House Grill – South Tampa, Florida, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong sexual content and language throughout, graphic nudity, and violence including a sexual assault.
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 27m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 2021 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 14, 2021
Genre(s)
Keyword(s)
Zola, Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, Colman Domingo, Ari’el Stachel, Jason Mitchell, Janicza Bravo, Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Gia Walsh, Kara Baker, Vince Jolivette, Elizabeth Haggard, Dave Franco, Jeremy O Harris, Comedy, Mystery & Thriller, Drama, R, Graphic Nudity, Sexual Assault, Language Throughout, Strong Sexual Content, Violence, A24, Box Office, Budget, Reviewed by Critics, MPAA Rating, Viral Twitter Thread, Florida, Stripper, Gangsters, Pimp, Weekend Trip, Dancing, Party, Hoeism, Wild, Surreal, Standout Performances, Dark Places, Entertaining, Tone Deaf, Offensive, Disabilities, Sundance Award-winning, Twerks, Spits, Exhausted, Anxious, Filmmaker to Watch
Worldwide gross: $4,998,097
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,435,964
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,146
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 592,799
US/Canada gross: $4,844,399
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,268,801
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,792
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,200,013
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,305,142
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,251
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Riley Keough – Stefani
Nicholas Braun – Derrek
Colman Domingo – X
Ari’el Stachel – Sean
Jason Mitchell – Dion
Janicza Bravo – Director/Co-Writer
Jeremy O. Harris – Co-Writer
Christine Vachon – Producer
David Hinojosa – Producer
Gia Walsh – Producer
Kara Baker – Producer
Vince Jolivette – Producer
Elizabeth Haggard – Producer
Dave Franco – Producer
Director(s)
Janicza Bravo
Writer(s)
Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris
Producer(s)
Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Gia Walsh, Kara Baker, Vince Jolivette, Elizabeth Haggard, Dave Franco
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 37 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (246) | Top Critics (68) | Fresh (216) | Rotten (30)
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.
December 15, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Dwight Brown
National Newspaper Publishers Association
TOP CRITIC
All in all, the tale of what happened in the aftermath of her extended saga sounds a lot more fun than the adventure itself.
November 19, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
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.
August 20, 2021
Simran Hans
Monocle
TOP CRITIC
A film that brashly merges traditional and disorientingly new ways of telling stories, and finds both chaos and wisdom in the chasm between them.
August 16, 2021
Guy Lodge
Film of the Week
TOP CRITIC
The story Bravo tells in Zola about innocence and experience – and who is allowed to have each – makes this slim, runaway road movie something else entirely.
August 16, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Christina Newland
iNews.co.uk
TOP CRITIC
That rarest of things: a film inspired by new media that deftly acknowledges the platform on which the story originally played out without becoming enslaved by it.
August 8, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
For most of its running time, Zola is as thrilling as any big-budget superhero epic.
May 10, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Dan Bayer
Next Best Picture
A slick, thoroughly contemporary crime dramedy that also isn’t afraid to get more than a little down and dirty.
April 21, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
James Croot
Stuff.co.nz
Like 2016s Spring Breakers, Zola begins to wear on your nerves as this wild ride goes to some dark places. However, strong performances and an assured director make this much more than Twitter titillation.
March 3, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
James Luxford
City AM
After watching the film, you’ll feel exhausted from its insane rollercoaster ride – a crazy weekend trip to Florida filled with unpredictable characters and bizarro turns, yet a disarming sense of humor about itself.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Paige and Keough are both stand-outs with how they handle the dramatic elements and the story’s sense of humor. Even with its blemishes, Zola is wildly entertaining.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Jeff Nelson
DVDTalk.com
How could you see Colman Domingo’s performance and not think, “This guy should be nominated for Best Supporting Actor?”
February 9, 2022
Kevin Fallon
The Daily Beast…
Plot
Zola, a Detroit waitress, befriends a customer named Stefani who invites her on a weekend trip to Florida filled with partying and “hoeism,” but the trip quickly turns into a wild and dangerous adventure involving a pimp, gangsters, and unexpected twists and turns.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
“Nicholas Braun and Colman Domingo as their traveling companions” – from the critic review section.
Janicza-Bravo.jpg
