You want to know why I had a falling out with this woman? It’s a bit of a lengthy tale, but it's full of suspense. On paper—or on an iPhone screen—the concept behind “Zola” sounds like one of the worst ideas imaginable for a movie. Inspired by a real-life Twitter thread involving a Hooters waitress and a stripper, this unbelievable story unfolded on social media in 2015 — and surprisingly, it makes for a uniquely original, wildly entertaining film. Zola (Taylour Paige) meets Stefani (Riley Keough) at a restaurant in Detroit, where they discover a shared passion: pole dancing. Shortly after their meeting, Stefani invites Zola on a road trip to Tampa, with the hope of earning thousands of dollars performing in upscale Florida strip clubs. What begins as a promising business opportunity quickly spirals into an absolutely wild (and dangerous) experience involving aggressive pimps, prostitution, attempted suicide, and murder. You really have to see it to believe it; it’s just crazy. The story is (mostly) true, and writer–director Janicza Bravo centers the narrative on Zola's perspective (even though Stefani gets a chance to share her side in one of the film's funniest moments). It could be described as being about individual viewpoints, but Zola is presented as the only person telling the truth. Whether we’ll ever know the complete story is doubtful. The acting is just as remarkable as the narrative itself, with demanding and risky parts for all the performers involved. Paige and Keough (who gave my favorite performance at Sundance this year) are especially unafraid as they fully commit to their roles as Zola and Stefani, while Nicholas Braun is sympathetic as a kind, patient boyfriend, and Colman Domingo is genuinely frightening as an intimidating, violent pimp. The cast embraces the script and goes all out with it, and it really works. Bravo has accomplished something remarkable here, transforming tweets into a clever screenplay. The film possesses a charming oddness to it, and her direction incorporates a playful style that’s perfect for the subject matter. Her attention to detail is exceptional, and the film's visuals are perfectly aligned with its source material. “Zola” isn’t without some shortcomings and feels somewhat long, but Bravo and her cast bring such conviction to their work that most of those issues fade away. It manages to remain funny even when things get extremely dark. This is one of those unusual movies that's certain to generate discussion, if only because of the sheer craziness of the story.

Source on TMDB