Review of Dope (2015) by Spangle — 11 Jan 2016

Dope is a hip-hop infused coming of age film that manages to both be funny, stirring, and poignant, all while getting into some sketchy situations in the gang-infested Inglewood, California. Starring Shameik Moore is a fantastic lead performance, the film has some great acting performances from not just Moore, but also Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Zoe Kravitz, Blake Anderson, ASAP Rocky, and Keith Stanfield.

Very well-written, the plot can be a bit outlandish and is ultimately the main detraction I have for the film. It is simply too neat and tidy to be seen as ringing true. However, the situations our protagonist finds himself in and the overall message and themes presented by the film are incredibly important and certainly resonate quite strongly as you watch this one unfold.

The characterization and writing of the characters is why I commend the script and the way it unfolds. The plot is secondary and the real stars are our protagonists, who are wonderfully crafted and certainly ring true.

An interesting coming of age film that blends together many different genres (kind of like hip-hop) into one compelling piece of entertainment, Dope is a good film that really demonstrates the talents of its cast and its writer/director Rick Famuyiwa.