DVD Review: Dope
Great coming-of-age films are a rare find – and unless your name is John Hughes, the chances of even crafting an adequate one are slim. The 2000s have had their occasional successes, from the quotable cult hit Mean Girls (2004) to the indie darling The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012), but it’s been awhile since something scaled the uniquely 
relatable heights of The Breakfast Club (1985) or even Boyz n the Hood (1991) – two classics that director Rick Famuyiwa must have had on repeat when writing his generational teen mash-up Dope.
Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is an Inglewood high schooler that doubles as a nerdy 1990s aficionado. Between dressing like a member of De La Soul and writing essays pondering the date of Ice Cube’s good day (“If Neil DeGrasse Tyson were writing about Ice Cube, this is what it would look like,”) he offers a take on teen clichés that’s fresher than his high top fade.
The hilariously on-point narration by Forest Whitaker (an executive producer) also enhances the film’s flavor early on; laying out the negatives of liking “white kid stuff” in a black neighborhood. Stuff like skateboards, applying to college, and rocking out with friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons). Malcolm’s a smart guy, but even Harvard level brainpower misfires when saddled with a bag full of drugs and a local gang banger (A$AP Rocky). In the words of Rocky’s sly dealer Dom, “we got what you call a slippery slope.”
This slope takes Malcolm and company rip-roaring through Cali’s colorful kaleidoscope of characters; among them a pothead brainiac (Blake Anderson), a cynical beauty (Zoe Kravitz), and a slew of rapper cameos (Tyga, Casey Veggies, Vince Staples). The film drops in hilarious obscenities, contemporary references, and a pace as raucous as Malcolm’s band Oreo – coupled with some thought provoking undertones to spice things up. It’s definitely ambitious, and Famuyiwa’s well-intentioned script brings more than its share of funny moments: particularly the slapping scene with Workaholics’ Anderson. But as Dope rounds the three-quarter mark, it’s non-stop sprint starts to catch up with it’s quality.
Malcolm’s saccharine conclusion swaps out rap culture for rigid cliché, and the film suffers immensely for it. The overly-long monologue sequence is preachy, pretentious, and a tough pill to swallow for an audience that’s clearly proven their savvy thus far. It’s confusing as to why the filmmakers felt the need to bash in the viewer’s head with overarching themes and “be yourself” messages – especially when Malcolm drops his whole 1990s style for the final scene. Maturity, sure, but it could’ve been delivered as creatively as the two acts that preceded it.
Overall, Dope does it’s job as a fun teenage movie with a message. With an audience of twenty somethings that idolize the eras of yesterday, the film’s stellar soundtrack (including classics from Nas, Naughty by Nature, and Gil-Scott Heron) and chic aesthetic will hit home for many. Famuyiwa is a talented filmmmaker, and he shows plenty of promise, but he ends up biting off more than he can chew this time – a shame given the semi-autobiographical nature of the script. If Malcolm is his onscreen doppelganger, then things would have been way more entertaining had the director just stuck to neighborhood shenanigans instead of fictional drug farces. As far as traditional coming-of-age stories go, the hip-hop wrapping paper on Dope will have no trouble finding a cult following for decades to come.
The DVD/Blu-ray features are pretty dope (couldn’t resist), particularly the featurettes Dope Is Different and Dope Music; which both detail the importance of punk rock and old school rap on the film’s overall aesthetic. Backed by executive producer Pharrell Williams, it’s an exciting peek into one of Dope’s defining strengths.
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