Designer
As Dope opens, the calm and comforting voice of Forest Whitaker introduces us so to a new kind of hero, a hero with a unique list of interests and characteristics that have in some part become hallmarks of a millennial generation.
The film follows the story of a high school geek named Malcolm (Shameik Moore), who is a straight-A student growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods of Inglewood, California as he tries to make it through his senior year amid the trap of abject poverty and surrounded by gang violence.
A first-generation American, he is an only child born to a single Nigerian mother named Lisa (Kimberly Elise). He is in a punk band and is obsessed with ‘90s era Hip Hop. His biggest dream in life is being accepted into Harvard.
If it isn’t hard enough trying to make it as a geek in the harsh landscape of what is called the “The Bottoms” of Los Angeles, Malcolm’s whole life gets spun into a series of wild misadventures after he is lured to a birthday party by the neighborhood drug dealer, Dom (A$AP Rocky). Accompanied by his faithful crew of best friends, Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) and Jib (Tony Revolori), Malcolm is shocked to find himself in possession of a huge quantity of ecstasy pills after Dom secretly stashes the dope in Malcolm’s backpack as the party is being raided by L.A.P.D.
When Malcolm realizes what has happened, he simply wants to appease the situation without disturbing any of the dangerous forces at play. After Dom’s instructions from prison to return the Molly to its owner, drug kingpin Austin Jacoby (Roger Guenveur Smith), Malcolm attempts to deliver the package, but things go haywire when instead of accepting the delivery, Malcolm is told that he must sell the drugs and pay in cash or else.
What ensues is an adventurous ride, as the trio of geeks set forth to offload the narcotics. Knowing nothing about drugs or a selling them in the streets, they enlist the expertise of a stoned-out hacker named Will (Blake Anderson), who helps them get rid of the “X” by using the Internet to auction them on a black market website.
Even though this film is told through the lens of drugs, money and violence, it does so without ever becoming graphic. Like many of Rick Famuyiwa’s films, it is a story about identity and friendship. Centering on the strength of their friendship and the resilience of the characters, they resist constant efforts from society to stamp them with one label or another. Dope reminds audiences of the critical nature of the more formative stages of the American childhood experience. Particularly the phase where you’re no longer a child, and still the world doesn’t yet see you as an adult.
The magic of a film like Dope is that it makes your own life somehow seem like you have the power and freedom to choose and create your own identity while resisting the pressure of falling into society’s persistent demand that you choose a particular path and label.
It was nice to be able to enjoy a relatable tale that used the great strength of storytelling. The main character is in nearly every scene of the film, giving the audience an intimate experience with the protagonist. I recommend seeing Dope, as it’s well worth the ticket price and offers something for most audiences.
Dope gets 4 stars out of 5 from this reviewer.