You shouldn’t settle for what’s expected.
Last night we went to the DOPE premiere in London. Directed by Rick Famuyia, on first glance it seems like just another coming-of-age teen comedy with drugs and girls in it, but soon reveals itself to be a film about moral dilemmas and also a subtle commentary on the ‘n*gga’ stereotype in deprived areas of LA – while also being funny.
The film follows Malcolm, acted in perfect awkwardness by Shameik Moore – a self-proclaimed geek who ends up in drug-related trouble, and how he and his mates fix the mess while he also tries to get into Harvard. Written in the midst of the Trayvon Martin case, the end of the film gently reveals Famuyia’s views on white privilege in regards to Malcom’s Harvard application.
DOPE is produced by Forest Whittaker and executively produced by Pharrell, even featuring four new Pharrell songs as part of it’s hip-hop heavy soundtrack. A$AP and Zoe Kravitz star, with Vince Staples, Chanel Iman and Tyga making small cameos. Already out in the US, the film is released September 4th over here in the UK.
Make sure you check it.