“Y’all wanna hear a story?” Thus began the odyssey of one A’Ziah King, aka Zola. From acclaimed writer-director Janicza Bravo, Zola’s stranger-than-fiction saga − first told in a now-iconic series of viral, uproarious tweets − comes to dazzling cinematic life. Zola, a Detroit waitress, is seduced into a weekend of partying in Florida. Her trip turns into a wild saga involving a pimp, an idiot boyfriend, and Tampa’s finest strip clubs in this film based on the greatest Twitter story ever told.
For in-depth thoughts on Zola, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Zola comes to Blu-Ray in an AVC encoded transfer in 1.85:1 courtesy of Lionsgate featuring an appropriately gritty transfer which captures the 16mm roots of the film. This presentation is quite gorgeous and offers a stable image quality throughout. The lo-fi nature of the film translates well on disc with most shots giving the movie a bit of extra character. Bravo captures some interesting scenery which really pops in high definition. Not only do the textural details render cleanly, but colors are suffused in a way that matches the aesthetic of the film. There is no evidence of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances outside a very minor bit in the most dimly lit locations. Skin tones look natural throughout the runtime. I do not see how this disc could have been improved significantly without a 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc. It’s a really stunning transfer.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is very active. The track really comes alive with the environmental sounds both in the outdoor material along with the ambiance of certain interiors. The wonderful score from Mica Levi is showcased impeccably here with an enveloping use of the surround speakers. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the environmental effects or the score. The sound design is just as precisely thought-out as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a busy soundscape that ratchets up the unpredictable nature of the journey. Activity in the low end is decent, especially so when the music comes to life in a forceful manner. This is a stellar audio presentation that brings the movie to life in a really substantial way.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer-Director Janicza Bravo and Editor Joi McMillon provide a really fun and thoughtful commentary track which explores how they went about shaping the story into the feature film. This one is filled with a fair amount of silent moments, but when they are speaking it is worth hearing.
- Y’all Wanna Hear A Story – Making @Zola: A 13-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the roots of the story on Twitter, adapting the story to film while maintaining the authenticity of the original voice, the thoughtful details added to bring the characters to life, preparations for the role, maintaining the right tone and more.
- Deleted Scenes: Six minutes of unused material is provided here with optional audio commentary. This includes a different beginning once Zola is picked up, a section that Bravo describes as “I’ll do anything for my baby”, details from the Twitter thread that they had to omit for pacing reasons and more.
Final Thoughts
Zola is proof that a fantastic film idea can come from the most unlikely of places. Janicza Bravo effortlessly guides us through this outrageous real-life story filled with unexpected twists and turns while maintaining the humanity of the original voice. The story may be larger than life, but the cast and crew are treating it with the respect it deserves. Every cast member is turning in a performance that is worthy of immense praise. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a wonderful A/V presentation and some fun special features. Not everyone may be able to jive with this story, but those who appreciate the tone it is taking will fall in love with it. Recommended
Zola is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
