It’s been a few years, but we finally reunited withShameik Moore’s Miles Morales inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. His work is as great as it was in its predecessor,Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, in which he voiced our favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Come to think of it, Moore would make a pretty great live-action Miles, too. While Moore might be mostly known for this animated role, he did play a very similar one in his best work back in the 2015 filmDope, who, much like Miles, gets in way over his head. This role not only let Moore showcase his range, but solidifies him as a leading man.
Related:‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Cast and Character Guide
‘Dope’ Is a Fresh Take On the Coming-of-Age Genre
Dope is one of those gems that we can’t help but wonder why isn’t bigger. The movie boasts an excellent main trio of Shameik Moore,Kiersey Clemons, andTony Revolori, withZoë KravitzandA$AP Rockyalso in the cast. Written and directed byRick Famuyiwa,Dopeis a coming-of-age movie that follows Malcolm and his friends as they figure out their futures once they finish high school. Self-proclaimed nerds as they are, they expect to be accepted into some of the best universities in the country, but they soon find themselves tangled up in a dangerous thread that ultimately leads to a life of drug dealing. All of this is set to a killer soundtrack filled with ’90s hip-hop (Malcolm’s favorite) and even a couple of original songs byPharrell Williams.
Growing up is usually the moment in which we need to get as broad a view of the world as possible to figure out our next steps in life with the little experience we have. Moore’s Malcolm Adekanbi has to wander through many places (some good, some bad, and some justweird) to understand how to act so as not to compromise the future he wants versus the future others expect him to have. His fascination with past decades' music and culture and his punk-rock band usually make him and his friends subject to a lot of jokes for liking “white people stuff.” But the trio doesn’t let this obstacle get them down.
Shameik Moore Brings a Hidden Confidence to Malcolm in ‘Dope’
What makes Moore’s performance inDopeso impressive is how easy it seems to be for him to imprint this awkward and nerdy vibe on Malcolm. He knows a lot about the things he likes and, as out of place as that might make him, he still tries to fit in. He balances his insecure nature with a contemporary punk look. Moore pulls this off while still managing to leave a hint of confidence deep down, something he begins to show more clearly toward the end of the movie. This makes Malcolm even more likable, as it’s as if he were telling the audience that he knew he was right all along. It’s not often that we get movies that have this kind of faith in teenagers, and Malcolm really is an improbable hero in this sense, but the combination of Moore’s interpretation of the character and Famuyiwa’s story makes him one of the best in the coming-of-age genre.
AfterDope, Moore went on to land his iconic role inInto the Spider-Versebut has also starred in other projects likeBaz Luhrmann’s seriesThe Get Down,Sylvester Stallone-ledSamaritan, and, more recently,Wu-Tang: An American Sagaas Sha Raider. While all of those are projects Malcolm would surely be proud of, in none of them does Moore get the spotlight as he does inDope, and that, along with theSpider-Versemovies, currently serves as his most emphatic statement as an artist.
ForSpider-Versefans, the similarities between Malcolm and Miles Morales are abundant. They are both bright youngsters who have a future full of potential in front of them. They know what they want and where to go to obtain it, and have to go through similar and surreal journeys. Malcolm doesn’t meet variants of his persona from other universes and has no superpowers, of course, but hedoesget in touch with multiple possible futures for himself along the way, experiencing lifestyles completely different from his own, too.
‘Dope’ Opened Doors for Great Artists
Although there are many connections to theSpider-Versefranchise inDope, the movie is also one that helped either launch or consolidate people into stardom. Shameik Moore may be the first name that comes to mind, but there are many others in this movie that get a chance to show range and skill beyond your typical superhero movies.
The most obvious references here areKiersey ClemonsandTony Revolori, the duo that follows Moore’s Malcolm around. They play Diggy and Jib, respectively, loyal friends who are also hustling for a good college after high school. Clemons may be known for her role asIris West inJusticeLeagueand nowTheFlash, but this is her first opportunity to prove she can do much more than just briefly crush over speedster superheroes. Revolori also gets his best role since, well,TheGreatBudapestHotel, although he really kills it as Flash Thompson in the MCU Spider-Man movies, truth be told.
One of the most impressive ones is behind the cameras, though.Dopeis Rick Famuyiwa’s first credit writing and directing, and he shows skills here that not evenFamuyiwa’s work inTheMandalorian(as great as it is) can. He perfectly balances comedy, drama, and suspense, and imprints on the movie a sort of surreal vibe that onlyAtlantahas managed to pull off, like Will (Blake Anderson), a white upper-middle-class hacker, trying to argue that he should be allowed to use the N-word because he identifies with Black culture. That’s the kind of freedom that Famuyiwa can’t get in big franchises, and is up there as his best work to date.Dopehas all this to show, and still feels like a small indie movie that’s made with love. You may come for Shameik Moore’s great work as Malcolm, but you’re definitely going to stay for what the movie really is: a surreal adventure about growing up and navigating all the weird different universes out there.
