'Zola' is a Modern Black Fairytale
It’s fun, it’s energetic, but it’s also understated and vicarial. Zola is a modern black fairytale and future of black movies.

Three women, who seem to have nothing in common: Abigail is a college student at Yale and daughter of one of the professors; Meredith is a married mother and owner of a bowling alley; Janet is a successful broker -- yet all of them decide to pose for Playboy magazine, shocking their friends and co-workers.
It’s fun, it’s energetic, but it’s also understated and vicarial. Zola is a modern black fairytale and future of black movies.
The tale of two friends spans three films and gives wonderful representation for young girls everywhere.
How closely does an actor need to resemble a character or historical figure in order to portray them on the Silver Screen? Seems to depend on color.
When diverse representation is featured on-screen, it oftentimes comes with strings attached that undermine the message they were trying to send. This can be attributed to the fact that behind-the-screen, the industry primarily does not reflect the breadth of diverse difference that is present in daily life. That’s why when something as powerful and authentic as Minari comes along, it is both incredibly wonderful and needs a large audience to witness it.
Even without the messaging, Mercy does not hold up as a movie. It's sloppily done and the mystery doesn’t tie together at the end.
By undermining the appeal and credibility of black characters, the show compromises the very idea of diversity and representation it sets to promote.