Dope (2015)

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Dope (2015)

6/10

Starring

Shameik Moore

Tony Revolori

Kiersey Clemons

Directed by Rick Famuyiwa

Directed and written by Nigerian-American Rick Famuyiwa, Dope is a movie I read about and have been curious to see, after seeing it I was glad I did. The movie is funny and smart and the style of presentation, where things run ahead and then taking you back to reveal more into the events, was at first confusing the first time it happened and became cool afterwards. Dope delivers the goods when it comes to comedy and makes sure you the viewer will find every scene captivating enough to want to finish this movie.

In the end of the movie, (which was not grand as I hoped, which left me thinking what else I could have wanted) I wished more was happening to keep the movie reel rolling. Here is a movie about three high school students, who had good grades and couldn’t fit in with any crowd, turn drug dealers and hackers overnight to save their hide.

Dope starts with an opening narration from the movie director Rick Famuyiwa, and we are gently introduced to the lead cast led by Malcolm Adekanbi (Shameik Moore) a high school senior obsessed with the 90's.

His dress style and hair style will make you think the movie was set in the 90's, he along with his friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) are more like geeks and formed their own band to be able to deal with the ostracized feeling.

While living or carrying on with their existence the group got invited to a club party organized by a dope seller as he used Malcom to get a chick he was dating to show up. While there, things got heated and they had to bail from the club, all for Malcom to get to school the next day and discover his school bag, which he took to the club and kept behind the counter, is filled with dope and a gun.

Now they must find a way to get the drug to the original owner while evading the cops and the other drug lords who want the dope from the inexperienced high school seniors.

The movie cinematography is worth appreciating based on the production cost, and the cast are not easy to forget. Watching a movie where the leads are little known and still being able to deliver on a role to such perfection and fun, is something else worth noting. Shameik Moore (a rapper I do not know) takes the lead in this movie and he is backed up by Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)) and Kiersey Clemons who was just awesome. Also in the cast is Zoë Kravitz the daughter of Lenny Kravitz, although her acting was not spectacular it was fun to her face.

 This movie would slip under the radar of most, but don’t be fooled by the mini budget of $700,000. It was good and worth your time, so go see it.