Dope (2015) – Review

Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is a high school student who gets good grades, but in the neighborhood where he lives, Inglewood, that doesn’t automatically mean that he will be successful in his life. His route home is a like a minefield, where he must try to avoid several gangs. Together with his friends Diggy and Jib (Kiersey Clemons) and Tony Revolori (Grand Budapest Hotel), they stand out.

They call themselves geeks and are big fans of nineties hip hop. They not only listen to that music but also dress themselves in the fashion of that time. Malcolm is approached by a local dealer, who asks him to pass on some messages to a girl he likes and because of that is invited to a party. Something occurs there which will change his life: He is more or less forced to sell a bag full of drugs and because of that ends up in various hazardous and unique situations

You should not expect Dope to be a film that focuses on drama. This is a light comedy, with various strange characters and situations where the trio have to attempt to get away from. The movie could kind of be compared to a film like Superbad, because it also deals with growing up and finding your own identity (with humor), but here some hip hop influences have been added.

  It is that combination which gives the film it’s unique (thinking about the nineties) “flavor”. It is also refreshing to see that the main characters are not the standard types that you would expect. Malcolm is nerdy, but knows how to use his knowledge to save him and his friends from situations by outwitting others or to use certain prejudices. Director Rick Famuyiwa himself grew up in the neighborhood the movie is shot in and he obviously has put his own stamp on the film. It makes Dope a film that, despite a number of standard comedy elements, feels original.