"I'm not like these other n- - - -s." That's what Malcolm (Shameik Moore) tells his crush Nakia (Zoe Kravitz) early on in Dope. But the realities of life in "The Bottoms," an especially poor section of Inglewood, California, will put that mission statement to the test.
Until his senior year, Malcolm has eschewed the violence and drug dealing that's crippled his neighborhood, preferring to skate and make music with his friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons). But when an obscene amount of MDMA finds its way into Malcolm's bag due to a mix-up, what's a bright kid to do?
Dope has a style all its own, but like the best rap tracks that Malcolm listens to, it knows what to sample. There's some Risky Business here, some Ferris Bueller's Day Off there, and in one section, Pulp Fiction. (There are also too many similarities to The Wackness, but we'll just move on.)
The cast, mostly filled with actors with light résumés, is uniformly fantastic, particularly Shameik Moore in the lead. Malcolm can't help but be charming, even when he's nervous or inserting himself in situations beyond his capabilities. Like Malcolm, Moore has a bright future ahead of him if he makes the right choices.
Director Rick Famuyiwa (The Wood) keeps the tone light, except for one tense scene which sticks out like a sore thumb. He also toys with the structure, sometimes rewinding scenes to show what happened before Malcolm arrived. It gives it some flair but doesn't always work. And when a third-act twist reveals itself, the film feels a little too clever for its own good. It then undercuts that cleverness by having Malcolm read his painfully obvious college admissions essay in voiceover.
Still, Dope is both consciously retro and exceedingly of the moment. Its effortless vibe makes it a perfect summer movie, especially if you're looking for a break from superheroes. In a word: It's dope.
