Synopsis
Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself.
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Cast
- Shameik MooreMalcolm
- Zoë KravitzNakia
- A$AP RockyDom
- Kiersey ClemonsDiggy
- Tony RevoloriJib
- Blake AndersonWill Sherwood
- Chanel ImanLily
- Roger Guenveur SmithAustin Jacoby
- LaKeith StanfieldBug
- TygaDe'Andre
Recommendations
- 90
Village Voice
Part of what makes writer-director Rick Famuyiwa's Dope so fresh and joyous is that in many key ways it's not new at all. - 83
Hitfix
The unexpected comedy bits, great music and an insightful point of view all contribute to making "Dope" something special, but it simply wouldn't fly without Moore. - 83
The Playlist
The good certainly outweighs the uneven. Dope is both intelligent and crowd-pleasing. - 80
New York Magazine (Vulture)
Dope isn’t perfect — it’s got a couple too many endings, and it loses the romantic subplot for a distressingly long time. But it moves with amazing energy, the dialogue and soundtrack and imagery a constant stream of pop-culture references, in-jokes, and digressions. - 80
Variety
The fun momentum of Dope’s breakneck plotting and snappy dialogue easily overcome any momentary attack of earnestness. - 80
CineVue
Essentially a caper movie, Dope defies the wearisome social realism that is often used to depict lives at the bottom of the social ladder. The script is verbally smart and the various contrivances and tangles of the plot are amusingly played out. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Bouncy, with snappy dialog to spare and a great young cast headed by breakout star Shameik Moore, this is a crowd-pleaser from start to finish. - 67
IndieWire
Dope provokes a discussion about the dichotomy between societal expectations of the race-defined self, as well as the democratic American right to be who you want to be — but it's an unfocused and tangential one, limited by the trappings of comedy and the flash of the hip-hop aesthetic.
