Although we highlighted 25 films we’re looking forward to in our Sundance 2015 preview, there’s still many more we’re anticipating premiering over the next week or so in Park City. One such feature is Rick Famuyiwa‘s Dope, which is part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition slate and ahead of a Saturday premiere, the first teaser has dropped.
Starring Shameik Moore, The Grand Budapest Hotel‘s Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Workaholics‘ Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, and more, it follows a group of high schoolers in Inglewood, California. The first trailer packs an energetic punch mixing violence and comedy for what will hopefully ring in new talent in Sundance. Check it out below, along with an interview with the director.
Malcolm is a high school geek with a high-top fade, carefully navigating life in The Bottoms, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Inglewood, California. He and his fellow outcasts share a voracious appreciation for all things ’90s hip-hop, opting to sport Cross-Colours and Z. Cavariccis at the risk of being clowned at school. He dreams of attending Harvard, but first he has to make it home every day. When a drug dealer takes a shine to Malcolm and invites him to his birthday party, Malcolm’s crew is swirled into a hilarious blender of offbeat characters and bad choices where redemption can only be found in Bitcoin.
Writer/director Rick Famuyiwa delivers an energetic, super-fresh, modern-day coming-of-age story that is a delightful mash-up of DIY punk, Yo! MTV Raps, YouTube, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Intelligent and full of heart, Dope is an up-to-date inspirational tale of the journey to maintain a grasp on one’s own authentic self amidst surreal circumstances.
Dope premieres on January 24th at Sundance Film Festival.