DOPE Lives Up To Its Name

For as long as there have been films, there have been coming of age movies and there have been high school movies. These types of film, these genres, have become so overdone, that it becomes hard for a single film to really stand out. Dope does.

A New Kind of Coming of Age Movie

Dope combines the general story of an outsider in a rough neighborhood with new technological innovations. It follows Malcolm (Shameik Moore) and his two friends Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) and Jib (Tony Revolori), geeks trying to get into a good college whilst manifesting a gang-infested, drug-plagued, neighborhood in Inglewood, California. It captures the dichotomy of their street lives trying to sell some cocaine that was accidentally thrust into their inexperienced hands, as well as their academic lives, as they try to get into the colleges of their dreams.

School ended for me yesterday, which means that I’m technically a senior in my Southern Californian high school now. I am not completely foreign to the modern application process: I’ve taken the SAT multiple times, I’ve pulled countless all-nighters studying for tests and APs, and I’ve been editing and rewriting drafts of my college essay since early April.

Perhaps that is why Dope hits me so hard at home. While I cannot identify the true hardships of Malcolm’s narcotics struggle, it is not hard to recognize the secondary, collegiate one, and imagining somebody having to deal with the two struggles simultaneously is terrifying. The insight the film provides into this conflict between searching for success in life and staying alive will undoubtedly resound within many of its viewers – I myself could not imagine being in his shoes – a concession that made me care about his character all the more.

But that’s not all Dope manages to do. It exemplifies all of this hardship, while simultaneously being hilarious. With a breakneck pace, it constantly and consistently flings jokes at the audience. While some jokes miss, enough hit for it to be a fun enough time all around.

Modern Relevance

Although, at times, this depiction of the difficulties of leading a double life that consists of getting street cred and actual scholastic credits does get a bit battered in, it is creatively explored in a way that will undoubtedly connect to today’s youth, utilizing memes, social media, quasi-hacking and references to 4chan and Reddit.

Now, on another note, the titular “dope” must also be referring to the soundtrack because, the film, produced by Pharrell Williams, and starring A$AP ROCKY, does not disappoint on a lyrical note. Every song is perfectly utilized, only, in a way that retroactively complements the overwhelming moderness of the film: the ’90s rings throughout,  and despite the usually loud and cacophonous nature of rap actually fits the nature of the film.

A surprisingly good and promising cast

The acting in this film was quite the surprise. Shameik Moore displays the growth as well as the duality of Malcolm – the balance between his street and his academic life –  in a way that will make you laugh and feel. The other two members of his small but homely clique are also perfectly suited for their roles. Tony Revoliri,  known for his role as the lobby boy in The Grand Budapest Hotel exemplifies a wide range as an actor as Diggy, who blends in despite not being entirely racially uniform. Kiersay Clemons is lovely as the final member of the group, an outsider for different reasons, a female who, despite not getting taken seriously at times, is really able to convincingly take control of situations.

The main three actors share a chemistry that makes their friendship seem so much more tangible and real – they find real bonds in their collective status as outsiders. Some of the actors, however, feel extremely out of place. Roger Smith, portraying a Harvard admissions officer moonlighting as a drug dealer comes off as awkward rather than menacing (he does this weird thing with his voice that makes it very hard to take him seriously), and Keith Stanfield, who was brilliantly tragic in 2013’s Short Term 12 is absolutely wasted as a minor gangster who barely gets any screen-time, entering and exiting the scenes seemingly as nothing but a plot device.

Conclusion

Although at times, Dope resonates with the vibe of a student film, and its ending invokes the same sense of hip social commentary as a Sprite commercial, it is able to do a variety of things: think, laugh, and feel some semblance of emotion. It’s a film about teenagers that actually understands how teenagers think and work. It’s a very enjoyable movie for both its laughs and its sense of camaraderie, but its sense of humor does nothing to impede the social commentary on the inequality that effects those students applying to college in more disadvantaged areas.

What are your thoughts on the way that Dope portrayed the pursuit for higher education? Do you think it was accurate? 

(top image source: Open Road Films)