Zola (2020)

Underneath the film’s stylish sheen […] is both a parody of and homage to the seductive falseness of social media.

— Chuck Bowen (Slant Magazine)

Only the internet could have given birth to Zola’s story, and [director] Bravo’s aesthetic here reflects the internet’s structure, overstimulation, and desperate need for attention.

— Brian Eggert (Deep Focus Review)

It’s not that Zola is a liar — we see what she sees, and there’s nobody else here we can trust — so much as that the movie is reluctant to explore her motives and emotions, which has the effect of undermining her credibility. [Actress] Paige occasionally shows a flicker of fear or a flare of impatience, but the insistence on Zola’s stoical, capable good sense puts other, potentially messier possibilities out of reach. How did she fall for Stefani’s con? Did she want anything from the experience besides money?

— A. O. Scott (New York Times)