A hilarious and groovy coming-of-age story set in Inglewood, Los Angeles, Dope is something like Do the Right Thing meets Risky Business meets Pulp Fiction, by way of John Hughes.
It follows a geeky teen named Malcolm, a straight-A student obsessed with '90s hip-hop but about as far away from the gangsters it glorifies as Donald Glover. He enjoys video tapes of 20-year-old Yo! MTV Raps episodes, listens to a cassette-playing walkman and even sports a Fresh Prince-style flattop.
Malcolm also loves punk rock and plays in a band called Awreeoh with his two buddies, Jib and Diggy. The three of them stick together over the turbulent events of the course of the film, a highly endearing trio that never ceased to be charming.
After getting his vintage kicks stolen from school bullies for what must be the umpteenth time, Malcolm has an unfortunate run-in with a local drug dealer (played by A$AP Rocky) which sets in motion a series of events that has him selling MDMA for Bitcoin, scoring babes and being way cooler than he ever imagined possible.
Although set in a poor, crime-ridden Los Angeles neighbourhood and centering on youngsters being forced to deal drugs, there's a vibrant, feel-good vibe pulsating out of this movie. It has a fast-paced flow with snappy dialogue and great jokes fired in quick succession.
Dope's strength lies not only in how funny it is, but in its loving portrayal of a side of urban black youth we rarely get to see put to screen.
The soundtrack is, predictably, fantastic. Highlights include tracks by A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Naughty by Nature, Eric B & Rakim, Digable Planets, Digital Underground, Public Enemy and Gil Scott-Heron.
Although the greatest rapper of all time - the Notorious B.I.G. - is name-checked, sadly none of his tracks feature. The stuff Pharrell made especially for the movie is pretty weak compared to the classic tracks, too; but there's no denying this is one of the best soundtracks of the year, easily.
Dope's pacing is a little uneven, it could've done with some tightening up around the middle and it doesn't treat most of its female characters with much dignity, unfortunately.
Toward the end of the film, it shifts gears somewhat and drops some serious social commentary, but it delivers it with the pervasive funky attitude and is never heavy.
A lot of the story's beats are recognisable from other classic Hollywood coming-of-age tales, but Dope has a freshness and smartness to it that is adorable.
Seeing it at the Civic Theatre with a hyped crowd made for a brilliant Friday night.
Four stars.
Dope is playing at the 2015 New Zealand Film Festival.
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Dope:: Director: Rick Famuyiwa:: Starring: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Zoë Kravitz, Chanel Iman, Tyga, Blake Anderson, Keith Stanfield, A$AP Rocky:: Rating: R16 - Drug use, offensive language, sexual material, violence:: Running Time: 115 minutes
