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.
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.
