The film is based on a Detroit waitress Aziah ‘Zola‘ Kind who posted 148 tweets about a trip she took to Florida with a stripper named Jessica. The film depicts prostitution, murder and an attempted suicide.
The two women meet at a restaurant where Zola (Taylor Paige) is a waitress, they bond (mostly over pole dancing). Not long after Stefani invites Zola on a trip to Florida where they can make good money dancing at strip clubs. The trip becomes a wild two day adventure in which they are exposed to prostitution, murder and attempted suicide.
It begins with a light carefree attitude on the part of the two, but grows darker as the film progresses. The film is named after Zola but the center of the plot revolves around Stefani (Riley Keough – Granddaughter of Elvis) who is as free in bed with paid customers as she is dancing around the pole or batting with Zola, her boyfriend or anyone else around her. She has a free attitude like a happy young teen. The script distinguishes between exotic dancing and prostitution and the dangers of the second option as it moves through the weekend.
The first location they stop is a cheep welfare motel in which they leave Stefani’s boy friend who is along for the ride. Next move is to an updated hotel in which they use the internet to attract clients. Zola wont participate in the action, but she uses her understanding of needy men to raise the price of Stefani’s clients.
There is a sense of foreboding about the movement of the film, loosing it’s innocence and moving into the dark world of prostitution and the dominance of pimps. But Director Bravo uses every opportunity to expose the bodies of the two on screen. In fact he uses sex in an exploitative manner on film not too different in nature than the uncomfortable world of prostitution which they are pulled into.
The two actresses are carry out their parts effectively from appealing sexy young women to being pressured and abused by the pimps.
This lost weekend becomes less and less enjoyable for the characters and the audience as time goes by.