Critically praised movie Zola is your Cineworld Unlimited screening on 5th August. This edgy and provocative drama is inspired by a 2015 Twitter thread initiated by Detroit waitress and part-time stripper Aziah 'Zola' King, which swiftly went viral.
Zola recounted her wild road trip from Detroit to Florida in the company of a fellow stripper named Jessica, a journey that came to encompass alarming and urgent issues regarding the position of women in the sex industry. The story was later picked up by Rolling Stone magazine and caught the attention of leading industry figures such as Selma director Ava DuVernay. Not long after, the movie rights were snapped up by indie darlings A24, responsible for the acclaimed (and often Oscar-winning) likes of Ex Machina, The Witch, Moonlight and The Lighthouse.
In the film, the tenacious Zola is played with great verve by rising star Taylor Paige, recently seen starring opposite the late Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Her companion, renamed Stefani in the movie, is played by Riley Keough who has delivered arresting performances in the likes of American Honey and It Comes at Night.
Zola played at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival where it competed for the Grand Jury prize and received positive appraisals from critics. Writing for Little White Lies, Hannah Strong enthuses: "It’s a frank and extremely funny account of one wild weekend, approaching sex trafficking in a bold new way as well as examining the racial tension between Zola and Stefanie... There’s an undeniable seediness to Zola, but also a great deal of empathy. As a contemporary fable about female relationships, it works extremely well."
Click here to book your tickets for the Cineworld Unlimited screening of Zola. The movie screens in advance on the 5th of August. Haven't yet signed up? Click here to join Cineworld Unlimited.
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