I ended up enjoying this one, surprisingly enough. It took some time for *Zola* to find its footing and for me to adjust to the unusual approach—specifically regarding the editing and how the dialogue was handled—but ultimately I found it entertaining. The narrative is wild, and I recall hearing about the project when a film was planned based on a series of tweets. It’s likely better than it had any reason to b…

Janicza Bravo's _@zola_, which was highly anticipated at Sundance, feels remarkably relevant even with its year-long postponement. The film draws from a 2015 Twitter thread written by Aziah “Zola” King and recounts a trip to Tampa that takes a disastrous turn. Following an encounter in a Detroit restaurant, Zola (played wonderfully by Taylour Paige) accepts an invitation to travel to Tampa with Stefani (Riley Keough)…

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 …