Dope (2015)

About Dope

Dope is a comedy-drama movie released in 2015, directed by Rick Famuyiwa. It tells the story of a high school senior from Inglewood, California named Malcolm, who is trying to avoid the daily dangers of his neighborhood whilst applying for Harvard. After an invitation to a party leads to a drug dealer dumping a bag full of drugs into his backpack, Malcolm and his friends find themselves in a series of chaotic, hilarious yet dangerous situations.

Making / Production

The movie was produced by Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi. Pharrell Williams served as the executive producer and also created original songs for the movie.

Actors

• Shameik Moore played the role of geeky yet street-smart Malcolm. Moore's performance was praised for blending innocence with a touch of gravitas.
• Tony Revolori portrayed Jib, a quirky and loyal friend of Malcolm. Revolori was appreciated for his comedic timing.
• Kiersey Clemons was cast as Diggy, the lovable tomboy of the gang, and was acclaimed for her poignant and at times hilarious performance.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film was shot in some of the same locations as Boyz n the Hood.
• Not only did Pharrell Williams serve as an executive producer, but he also contributed four original songs to the film's soundtrack.
• The movie is notable for featuring Bitcoin as a plot element, a rarity in mainstream Hollywood films.

Awards

Dope bagged the Dramatic Editing award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. Shameik Moore also earned a nomination for Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer.

Quotes

• "I'm a geek, but I ain't no punk." - Malcolm
• "Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is Malcolm Adekanbi" - Malcolm
• "I don't want to go to jail. I want to go to college." - Malcolm

Music, Soundtrack

• "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" - Digable Planets
• "Can't Bring Me Down" - Awreeoh
• "The World Is Yours" - Nas
• "Humpty Dance" - Digital Underground