Mope

The outcome is based on a true story, so this is one time spoilers shouldn’t apply, but for the sake of those who still want to be surprised, I’ll end the recap of the story right here… But, let’s just say it ends badly for pretty much everyone involved.

One thing worth noting about Mope is it’s balls (no pun intended) in not backing away from the subject matter. Porn is always a tricky subject matter to tackle in “mainstream” movies, and Lucas Heyne does a phenomenal job of not “winking at the camera” and just shooting the movie straight up and honest. There are many scenes in this movie that looks like it was ripped right out of a porno. And because of that, this movie is not going to be everybody’s cup of tea. Add to that, the gruesome scenes that follow all the sex. So just know going into Mope that this a very “adult” film. (See what I did there?)

“…many scenes in this movie that looks like it was ripped right out of a porno.”

But that aside, this is ultimately a story about friendship, and two guys chasing their dream to be stars. Porn just happens to be the stardom they are chasing. And even though circumstance doesn’t permit it, they wanted to get there together. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Kelly Sry do an amazingly earnest job in the movie bringing Driver and Dong believably to life. These are performances that could have gone so far off the rails into cheesy, over-acting, but instead, we actually feel for these men by the end of the movie. Brian Huskey was hilarious in nearly every scene he was in. Other performances of note besides Jarrett and Sry, come from David Arquette who plays Rocket, a “smut king” of a major porn company that Driver and Dong audition for, and Tonya Cornelisse who stars as Tampa, a meth-head who gets involved with Driver and then drafted into the porn game.

Is Mope a “must see?” If you love movies that start off insane and ends even crazier, then yes, Mope is a must see in every way! Personally, I feel like I need to see it again just to take in everything I missed the first time!