Dope (2015 film)

Dope
Company type	Independent film
Industry	Film
Founded	2015; 11 years ago
Founder	Rick Famuyiwa
Products	Film
Parent	Open Road Films

Dope is a 2015 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film crafted and helmed by Rick Famuyiwa, with production led by Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi. The ensemble cast features Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Kimberly Elise, Chanel Iman, Tyga, Blake Anderson, and Zoë Kravitz, along with the cinematic debut of ASAP Rocky. Among the executive producers are Pharrell Williams and co-executive producer Sean Combs.

The movie made its debut at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2015, in Park City, Utah, followed by a North American release on June 19 through Open Road Films. It was reissued on September 4 during the Labor Day weekend. Produced on a $7 million budget, Dope earned $18 million at the box office and was met with favorable reviews from critics.

Plot

Malcolm Adekanbi, along with his friends Jib Caldones and Diggy Andrews, are academically inclined teenagers living in "The Bottoms," a neighborhood plagued by crime in Inglewood, California. Malcolm aspires to attend Harvard University; however, his school counselor expresses skepticism about his prospects and arranges an interview with local businessman and Harvard alumnus Austin Jacoby.

While heading home, Malcolm encounters Dom, a drug dealer who requests that he invite Nakia to a party. During the event, Dom's transaction involving high-quality molly is interrupted by an armed gang, leading to multiple shootings. Malcolm manages to flee, unaware that Dom has concealed drugs and a firearm in his backpack. Nakia drives him home, where Malcolm offers assistance with her GED studies.

The following day, Malcolm discovers the drugs, gun, and an iPhone hidden in his backpack. An unidentified caller demands the drugs; meanwhile, Dom—now detained—advises Malcolm against complying and instructs him to meet someone named AJ. Together with Jib and Diggy, Malcolm visits AJ’s mansion. There, Lily, AJ’s sister, seduces Malcolm but uncovers the drugs and overdoses while driving him to his interview. Consequently, Malcolm takes control of the vehicle.

At AJ’s office, Malcolm identifies AJ as Austin Jacoby. Although Jacoby denies involvement with the drugs, he warns Malcolm that failure to sell them before their rescheduled interview will cost him Jacoby’s Harvard endorsement.

Malcolm recruits hacker Will Sherwood to establish an online black market utilizing Bitcoin for drug transactions. The venture rapidly gains traction. To facilitate sales, the friends exploit their Google Science Fair project to access school laboratories. A police raid nearly exposes their operation, unsettling Jib but not deterring his commitment.

While tutoring Nakia, Malcolm grows suspicious of her allegiance and distances himself. He later attempts to launder Bitcoin profits through gangster Fidel but is robbed by a school bully. Using the firearm, Malcolm retrieves the stolen money and earns the bully’s respect.

Back at Jacoby’s office, Malcolm reveals he has successfully sold the drugs but threatens to implicate Jacoby unless he ensures Malcolm’s admission to Harvard. For his college essay, Malcolm contrasts two students: one excelling academically through music; the other struggling in a harsh environment resorting to illicit activities—questioning which one reflects his own identity.

At prom, Nakia is absent but later expresses gratitude for Malcolm’s help in passing her GED. They share a kiss before Malcolm discovers his Harvard acceptance letter and smiles toward the audience.

Soundtrack

The official soundtrack, titled Dope (Music from the Motion Picture), was issued by i am OTHER Entertainment in partnership with Columbia Records on June 16, 2015.

"Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" – Digable Planets
"Can't Bring Me Down" – Awreeoh
"The World is Yours" (featuring Pete Rock) – Nas
"Go Ahead" – Awreeoh
"Rebel Without a Pause" – Public Enemy
"Don't Get Deleted" – Awreeoh
"Scenario" (featuring Leaders of the New School) – A Tribe Called Quest
"Cocaina Shawty" – Kap G
"Poppin Off" – WatchTheDuck
"The Humpty Dance" – Digital Underground
"New Money" – Buddy
"Hip Hop Hooray" – Naughty by Nature
"Dirty Feeling" – LolaWolf
"Home is Where the Hatred Is" – Gil Scott-Heron
"It's My Turn Now" – Awreeoh
"Know What I Want"– Kali Uchis

Release

Dope made its debut in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, held in Park City, Utah. The film garnered interest from prominent studios such as The Weinstein Company, A24, Fox Searchlight, Focus Features, Lionsgate, and Relativity Media. Ultimately, distribution rights for the domestic market were acquired by Open Road Films, while international distribution was secured by Sony Pictures, reportedly for $7 million plus an additional $20 million allocated for marketing and promotional efforts. Additionally, it served as the closing film for the Directors' Fortnight segment at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The movie was released across the United States on June 19, 2015. Later that year, Dope earned the Audience Award (Prix du Public) at the 2015 Deauville American Film Festival.

Box office

During its opening weekend, Dope generated $6.1 million in revenue, placing fifth at the box office behind Jurassic World ($106.6 million), Inside Out ($90.4 million), Spy ($11.2 million), and San Andreas ($8.7 million). By the conclusion of its theatrical run, global earnings approached $18 million.

Critical response

The film received generally favorable reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 88% based on 161 critiques, with an average rating of 7.3 out of 10. The site's consensus emphasizes Shameik Moore's standout performance and Rick Famuyiwa's distinctive vision, describing the movie as "smart, insightful entertainment." On Metacritic, it achieved a score of 72 out of 100 from 37 reviewers, reflecting "generally favorable" feedback. Audience surveys conducted by CinemaScore awarded it an "A−" grade.

The Guardian bestowed a five-star rating upon the film, commending the cast as "revolutionary." Meanwhile, IGN assigned a score of 7 out of 10, highlighting its effective combination of comedy, romance, drama, and crime within an engaging coming-of-age narrative.

Teen film expert Björn Sonnenberg-Schrank regards Dope as a noteworthy addition to the teen film canon, recognizing its challenge to prevalent white middle-class viewpoints and typical stereotypes commonly depicted in comparable movies.

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