The Whore-able Critic is Watching ... Zola

Whoreable Critic Rating: 8.5/10

"Even working in sex work, I was very sure of myself and sure of the reasons why. So I think it’s important for me to represent those girls, the girls that come from a good background and it’s not like they’ve been traumatized or that sex work is the last resort." - A'Ziah King

 

"Y'all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It's kind of long but full of suspense." This is the infamous question that started the 148-tweet thread, so infamous it became known as simply "the story," by A'Ziah "Zola" King. In 2015, King had all of Twitter (and the internet at large, you can still find the entire thread on Reddit) on the edge of their seat, waiting for the next horrifying detail of her treacherous tale, in which she blindly accompanied a "white bitch" named Jessica for a quick strip-trip to Florida, a trip that took a dark and unexpected turn. The real Zola managed to make a story about sex trafficking, violence, and abusive pimps wildly entertaining. Now, did the A24 adaption in 2021 manage to do the same? 

Without giving too much away so you can go enjoy this film for yourself (or not), I'll give my honest opinion as an ex-full-time-whore and current stripper, based on my genuine viewing experience, as well as my research into the production of the film. A lot of how I feel about a film that relies on a sex-worker narrative to tell the story comes down to how ethically the film was made, with the real sex workers experience in mind as well as the involvement of said sex-worker(s). It's important to note that A'Ziah King was an Executive Producer on the film, and worked very closely with Director Janicza Bravo, who not only co-wrote the film so that it would have the authentic voice of a young Black woman, but also fought for King to have this role and strong involvement. Taylour Paige, who plays Zola (flawlessly, I might add) even asked for King's blessing before accepting the part. The respect for not only King's story, but for her talent as a story teller, was definitely felt. 

Cinematically, this film was brilliant. It's short, sweet and to the point. A24 is known for their dedication to stunning visuals, and that Tarantino-esque nostalgic quality. Zola's first dance on stage, as well as an intimate dressing room moment were some of my favorites to watch. As much as this had me recalling some fun moments dancing on chromatic rainbow stages in a hot-pink bikini in a tiny beach town in Florida, other moments had more triggering effects. A24 attempted to do the same as the real Zola, and capture a cheeky tone when discussing a dark topic, however, when you add visuals it's hard to keep this comfortable for anyone. The montage of unattractive dicks felt, to an ex-whore, like a string of invasive thoughts, and some of the depictions of violence and verbal abuse from Stefani's pimp, known solely as "Z" (played by Colman Domingo) were particularly hard to watch. 

Riley Keough, who plays Stefani, the adaption of real-life Jessica, was phenomenal in the portrayal of her character's cringe-factor. She plays a white girl with braids, who uses a "Blaccent" in full ignorance, and who's actions are almost impossible to distinguish from manipulative, naive, or just down-right stupid. She comes off just desperate enough for you to feel bad for her, yet so cringe that you could care less what happens to her. The entire time you'll of course be rooting for Zola, as you're seeing every event through her point-of-view. Sometimes, the trusted yet flawed narrator can be a characters strength, and other times it can be a weakness. In this circumstance, the execution of this role by Taylour Paige made it possible for any viewer to see themselves in Zola, and think: what the fuck would I do in this situation? It was also one of the rare instances where the main character is as rational, if not more so, than the audience, which made her all the more relatable, even to non-sex working people who may have found this content more jarring. However, my only gripe was not being able to get more of a sense of who Zola was at her core, and what she really wanted. Her "colorful narrator" role limited her to being OUR eyes and ears, but I wanted to know more about HER. 

While I feel the film in itself captured the story's essence, it didn't say much about the current culture and climate of sex work, and the often conflation between sex work and sex trafficking. If you're a civilian watching this film, understand you are watching a depiction of a sex worker (Stefani) being held victim to the trap of sex trafficking, through coercion of a pimp, the threat of instability, and the lack of resources or knowledge to do this work independently. Unfortunately, the pimp-sex worker relationship is one that is still extremely present, and not to sound like a Fox News article, but these traffickers are quite literally lurking in the shadows, waiting for desperate and naive women to prey on and pimp out. They're at the clubs, more prevalent in some cities I've stripped in than others. In Vegas, dancers have lingo when there's a lot of "P's" in the club that night, and even codes to pull baby strippers away from conversations with customers they are unaware are actually pimps, scouting for new girls.

"This stark difference of these two women managed to represent King's, and many other sex workers realities..."

However, on the other hand, you have Zola, who has participated in sex-work through her own autonomy, and has successfully set boundaries for herself in what she is willing and not willing to do for a check, as well as her survival. She's intuitive and forward-thinking. She has a healthy relationship with her partner (who is not shown, but felt through texts). This was powerful to watch, especially amongst all the trauma porn that was Stefani's chaos. This stark difference of these two women managed to represent King's, and many other sex workers realities, and that is simply that despite all of the stereotypes regarding why anyone may enter this industry, no two sex worker experiences are the same, nor are their backgrounds, lifestyles, circumstances, socio-economic status, mental and physical health, and the many other factors that contribute to an individuals path in sex work. 

I appreciated the dedication to Zola's story, and that the filmmakers didn't try to do too much with it, or too little. Bravo gave the smallest details the biggest spotlight, and that's what made this an authentic viewing experience. King's involvement ensured that it was "proper representation for just Black women in general—for sex workers, for Black sex workers," which she spoke about with Cady Lang for Time magazine. When asked if she felt she was in a position to break stereotypes around sex work, King answered, "I’ve kind of always felt a sense of responsibility to properly represent that. And it’s mostly because I’m so comfortable in my sexuality. Even working in sex work, I was very sure of myself and sure of the reasons why. So I think it’s important for me to represent those girls, the girls that come from a good background and it’s not like they’ve been traumatized or that sex work is the last resort. It’s really a lifestyle and a certain confidence that comes with it. It’s important for me to represent that side of it."

In conclusion, I give this film an 8.5/10 because I simply wanted more! I wanted more Zola, I wanted more of her story because her presence alone was inspiring. If you feel the same, this incredible Rolling Stone interview form 2015 is a great reference. Overall, there were details I appreciated immensely such as the fact that there was no female nudity in the entire film, which I'm sure you weren't expecting. Neither of the women in the film felt like they were being sexualized and that's because you could tell it was directed by a woman, and with care. Sex work wasn't sensationalized, and definitely wasn't glamorized. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to be highly entertained for an hour and 27 minutes, but leave with the immediate realization of just how fucking real this shit is. 

If you are a current or former SWer, or have been a victim of sex trafficking I am giving this film a TW: sexual assault, violence, attempted suicide, depictions of verbal, physical and sexual abuse.

A'ziah "Zola" King and Taylour Paige at the premiere of Zola.