16 Reasons Why I Love "Dope"

In this moment, I’m searching for the words to describe how much I loved Dope. This movie was incredible. Like absolutely amazing. Oh my goodness! If you couldn’t already tell, I’m one of those people who analyze movies. Sometimes I even annoy myself doing it. Here’s how I know that Dope was a great film—I just watched it. I actually sat and enjoyed the movie, but was still left thinking when it was over. That, my friends is the mark of artistry.

 I’d also like to give you a low-key spoiler alert; by no means does reading this mean that you shouldn’t see the movie. PLEASE SEE THE MOVIE! 

So, here are 14 reasons why Dope was dope. Gee whiz, I’m so punny:

1. Direct social commentary

A criticism that I have of a lot of Black films is their failure to be corrective. However, by the end of Dope it was pretty clear that writer and director Rick Famuyiwa finds stereotypes to be shallow and confining and that we should too. I think that he was saying that there is some truth to these stereotypes, but they should not limit our view of people. Furthermore, we should look more closely at the reasons that these categories exist. If you missed that after seeing the film, you may want to hit up Starbucks for some caffeine, because he does a great job of making his point clear. 

2. The humor

I’m more of a smile-and-nod person than a laugh-out-loud person when I’m watching movies. So, the fact that I was audibly laughing through this entire film says a lot. This style of satirical humor was right up my alley. “It’s funny ‘cause it’s true."

3. It Was Relatable

I’m a church girl from the middle of Kansas. The absolute last thing that I know anything about are drugs, let alone how to sell them. The thing is, that Malcolm had no idea either. That in and of itself rejects stereotypes and connects misunderstood Black people to the story…but that’s number 12. Malcolm’s quirky vulnerability made me feel like he got me. He met me exactly where I am. His ability to overcome some ridiculous challenges made me feel like I could too.  Famuyiwa took extremely relatable things like black nerdiness and college acceptance and turned them on their head. So even though I can’t tell you about kilos and “Lily” and what not, I could totally identify with spending your whole life just trying to be you, but being bogged down by clichés and expectations that seek to confine me to the world’s definition of my race. That combined with a wild series of events made for an exceptionally relatable and entertaining story. 

 4. Shameik Moore

Michael B. Jordan, I’m afraid that you may have some competition in having the imaginary key to my heart.  Shameik. Moore.  We can talk about the fade…or the smile…but if you’ve seen the movie, that’s old news. In the realm of celebrities, talent is what really puts them on my list. I love how he was able to play an outsider without ever seeming pitiful. He was the dashing and triumphant underdog without ever seeming cliché. If we’re talking specifics, he does this thing where his lips quiver when Malcolm is trying to keep a straight face. The little touches that actors add that make us forget that they’re playing a character is what makes me notice them. He was so perfect in this role that I can’t decide who I like more, Shameik Moore or Malcolm Adekanbi. Excuse me while I search for posters for my bedroom wall. 

5. John Hughes and Spike Lee

I am in the process of finishing some Spike Lee classics. I also happen to be a huge John Hughes fan. I would like to take this time to personally apologize to my family for all of the times that I made you watch Pretty in Pink. Before seeing this film, I saw Dope described as John Hughes meets Spike Lee, so it was definitely something that I had to see. I think that it delivered on those promises. Dope was very Spike Lee because it was in-your-face and heavily satirical. The coming of age narrative and the snowballing series of events reflected John Hughes. 

6. References to The Wood

I’m watching the beginning of this film and I can’t help thinking “the guy who plays that security guard looks super familiar.” Then I realized that Rick Famuyiwa worked Stacy from The Wood into a second screenplay. It was a nostalgic nod to his 1999 film, also about highs and lows of life in Inglewood. I can’t even count the number of times that I’ve seen The Wood. I couldn’t help but feel like I’d want to see Dope that many times, too. 

7. Their Wardrobe

For the first couple of minutes of the film, I thought that this story was taking place in the 90’s because of how they dressed. However, I realized that the film was making a bit of a joke about how millennial teenagers are obsessed with a decade that we never really experienced. Alluding to The Wood again, Malcolm, Jib, and Diggy’s wardrobe is basically what Mike, Slim, and Roland were trying to achieve. It’s a throwback while still being current and fly. Fresh to death. Does that sound nineties enough?

8. The “Find My iPhone” Bit

I called this a low-key spoiler, so I won’t go into detail in case you haven’t seen it. But just consider what would happen if “thugs” had to rely on GPS. Just watch the film. I promise this won’t disappoint. 

9. It Was Light-Hearted

I appreciate that Famuyiwa gives the audience numerous opportunities to get a glimpse into the joy and universality of Black life. That’s corrective, too. There’s work to be done, but we’re not always sad. 

10. The Essay

At the end of the film, Malcolm basically writes the college admissions essay that I wish I had written. It’s fiery. It’s intelligent. It’s creative. I think that this was a really smart way of driving the point of the film home. We don’t question White quirkiness the same way that we question Black quirkiness. It’s probably an issue in and of itself that we have to give terminology to the diversity of interests. In a lot of other cases, I might have found this essay too explicit. However, I think that it works here because the film already spins reality on its head. 

11. Zoe Kravitz

As much as I want to find a deeply artistic reason for loving Zoe Kravitz, it basically boils down to the fact that she’s just so darn cool. As the daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz it’s in her genes, right? Her effortless beauty was also present in her performance as Nakia. To all of you out there who weren’t pleased that the love interest was once again a light-skinned woman, I hear you. But she’s still pretty atypical for Hollywood, so I wasn’t particularly bothered with the casting. Especially after seeing Dope, I kind of want to see everything that she’s is in…

12. The Play on Stereotypes

Rick Famuyiwa creates a world where everyone in it is a stereotype of sorts. The clichés are colorful, direct, and clearly recognizable. Artistry comes into play when Famuyiwa turns all of those stereotypes on their heads. Because we are familiar with these types of people, their unexpected characteristics are both poignant and funny. See, the villain here is stereotypes. This is evident through the film’s plot. Malcolm embraces them and then defies them all. To those that like to think of Black people as monolithic: you can box us into stereotypes all you want. That doesn’t stop us from being who we are. 

13. The Cute Ending

Excuse me while I embrace my inner tween. The ending of this film was absolutely adorable. Malcolm got what he wanted without losing himself. Can this couple please be a real-life thing?

14. The Soundtrack. 

This movie had everything from Public Enemy to Gil Scott-Heron. My favorite tracks were those by Awreeoh, Malcolm’s band in the movie. They were described at one point as punk, however I think the group’s sound was more of a fusion between a number of styles, mainly rock and hip-hop. “Can’t Bring Me Down” is the film’s anthem and my next download. 

15. The N-Word Section

So this movie does a great job of dealing with the gravity and awkwardness of the use of the n-word. Both Black people and White people had the opportunity to get a glimpse into what the other might be thinking about this word. It was a pretty hilarious scene, but still didn’t let the audience off the hook. It was entertaining while still being thought provoking. That, my friends, is the mark of well-executed satire. 

16. Malcolm’s Transformation

At the end of the film, I felt like I looked up and Malcolm had transformed. It’s not that it was an unmotivated transformation. It’s that his metamorphoses was so deeply intertwined in the action of the screenplay that I never had to separate the two. Furthermore, he became a better version of himself, not some new man. Instead of at the beginning, the self-doubt came in the middle. Through this construction, the film basically says that Malcolm was uniquely awesome and will continue to be that way. Blackness is what we decide it is. When we turn a deaf ear to stereotypes perpetuated by systems of White supremacy and embrace our power to define our melanin, we become unstoppable.