Lola (2024 film)

Lola is a 2024 American drama film written and directed by Nicola Peltz Beckham, who stars alongside Raven Goodwin, Richie Merritt, Luke David Blumm, Trevor Long, and Virginia Madsen.

The film was released in the United States on February 9, 2024.

Plot
Lola James is an exotic dancer with a cocaine addiction by night and a grocer in the morning. She works the two jobs constantly in hopes of moving herself and her 9 year old brother, Arlo, out of their toxic home and into Texas so Arlo can go to a creative kids art school. Their mother Mona, an overly religious narcissist, is homophobic and abuses Arlo as he shows interest in makeup and fluidity alike to his sister, Lola. Lola has a tumultuous relationship with her ex-boyfriend named Malachi, who is also her drug dealer After a night of seeing her mother get physical with Arlo, Lola packs their bags and stays with her coworker and best friend, Babina and Babina’s mother, Pearl. Just as Lola is about to save up the money to move with her brother, she is fired from her job after her coworker reports her shoplifting. Lola goes back to Mona’s house to get their dog, Mikey, and is sexually assaulted by Trick, Mona’s boyfriend. Mona figures out where Arlo is being kept and comes back for him against Lola’s wishes. That night, Mona cuts off Arlo’s long hair in fear of him being transgender and being hated by God. An upset Arlo runs away and is hit by a car and killed. Lola is devastated and Mona blames Lola for his death. Lola dives deeper into her addiction, becoming uncaring of the world around her. She begs Malachi for cocaine and breaks down after he refuses. Lola gets sick and takes a pregnancy test that reveals she is now pregnant with Trick’s child. She decides to keep the baby and promises Babina she’ll stay clean. The next day Malachi drives her to an addict support group meeting. Lola’s pregnancy becomes visible and a coworker at the strip club shows admiration for her keeping the baby. Babina supports her by reading about having a child and getting her job back. Lola run into her mother at the pharmacy she works at and tells her who her child’s father is to Mona’s dismay. The girls from Lola’s strip club give her some money. She shares her story at her last meeting with the support group. Six months pregnant now, Babina drives Lola to the bus station to start her new life and they have a tearful goodbye. In the future Lola is shown to be having fun with her daughter and Malachi at a carnival.

Cast

 * Nicola Peltz Beckham as Lola James
 * Raven Goodwin as Babina, Lola's best friend
 * Richie Merritt as Malachi, Lola's boyfriend
 * Luke David Blumm as Arlo, Lola's nine-year-old brother
 * Trevor Long as Trick, Mona's boyfriend
 * Virginia Madsen as Mona
 * Will Peltz as Frankie

Production
In March 2021, it was announced that Nicola Peltz Beckham would make her directorial debut co-directing a film with Bria Vinaite that she wrote titled Lola James. The film would star Peltz and Virginia Madsen. Richie Merritt, Trevor Long, Raven Goodwin, and Luke David Blumm also joined the cast.

Principal photography began on March 1, 2021 and concluded on April 15, 2021, in Los Angeles, California.

Release
Lola was released in the United States on February 9, 2024.

Reception
The Guardian described Lola as "poverty porn - the exploitation of the conditions of poverty for entertainment and artistic recognition" adding that "Lola, whose protagonist careens from one traumatic experience to the next, doesn’t explore hardship – it exploits it".