A24’s @Zola is STILL that girl

Prompted by a tiktok praising the font for this movie, I decided to re-watch Zola. Continue for my review.

6 out of 5 stars ⭐

Grainy camerawork, a dreamy score, and the gayest eye contact I have ever seen open the first few minutes of Zola. Every element is done to perfection. The costuming, camerawork, scenery and acting harmonize brilliantly for this wet hot American nightmare. Riley Keough plays an excellent Blackfishing Barbie, a glossy WhoaVicky SW with cornrows tearing her roots to shreds.

And Taylour Paige positively SHINES as Zola, our expressive heroine being dragged to the depths of hell by her shady new “friend” Stephani. Paige hits every beat flawlessly, from her early infatuation with Stephani to her visible discomfort on the car ride, fear, disgust, anger all played perfectly.

Another favorite moment of mine. Her distress at Stephani’s stupidity - PRICELESS

This movie came out in 2020 and I can’t BELIEVE I haven’t seen more of Taylour Paige. I am determined to support her career in everything, I saw she’s in the movie Sharp Stick so that’s now been moved to the top of my watchlist.

I’m curious about this paragraph specifically (credit: Hollywood Reporter)

This movie is a masterclass in how to incorporate social media and cellphone usage in a realistic and modern but not annoying way. A brilliant counterpoint to He’s All That’s obnoxious and visually repugnant socials.

If it seems like I’m absolutely fawning foaming at the mouth for this film, it’s because I am. I was captivated by the initial Twitter thread and was so thrilled to watch this when it first came out, and remains still just as fantastic today. This movie makes you UNCOMFORTABLE and keeps you there just long enough to make an impact and not a second longer. There is no dead air in this film, even the night driving interludes add an air of suspense that heightens the intensity of scary moments. The score is so brilliant I want to french it.

Roses to Jason Mitchell and Colman Domingo as well, for scaring the fuck out of me, and to Nicholas Braun for being a truly wormy little chinstrap bitch. I was trying to figure out where I knew Jason Mitchell from besides playing Eazy-E and it’s because he was in Superfly! I don’t know if anyone else really watched Superfly- it was during my MoviePass era and I saw every damn thing in the theater at that point. (Even GOTTI. It was HORRENDOUS but I needed to charge my phone.) But now I want to give it a second look. After Queen and Slim tho, because apparently Tubi recommendations have AI and crack in them. They gave me exactly what I wanted and never knew I needed.

But I digress. In closing, when Zola rolls down that window and takes that last deep breath I feel her exhale in my soul. Finally.