Mope (2019)

The tragic true story of best friends Steve Driver and Tom Dong, two low end porn actors who sought fame but gained infamy.

Director:

Lucas Heyne

Writers:

Michael Louis Albo (story by), Lucas Heyne

Stars:

Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Kelly Sry, Brian Huskey

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett	...	Steve Driver
Kelly Sry	...	Tom Dong
Brian Huskey	...	Eric
Max Adler	...	Chris
David Arquette	...	Rocket
Tonya Cornelisse	...	Tampa
Clayton Rohner	...	Dad
Peggy Dunne	...	Stepmom
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marc Barnes	...	Tony
Angel Cardenas	...	Treetop
Nash Carter	...	Kayla
Annie Cruz	...	Nora
Alice Frost	...	Pam
Chance Guess	...	Dude 1
John Haegele	...	Wiz

Storyline

The tragic true story of best friends Steve Driver and Tom Dong, two low end porn actors who sought fame but gained infamy.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | samurai | based on true story | 

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Taglines:

Everyone Is Going to Know Their Names

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Stephen chose his stage name Stephen Driver after his favorite film, "Taxi Driver."

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Quotes

Steve Driver: This whole city is one giant butthole waiting to be fucked.

User Reviews

Surprised with how well this film nailed EVERYTHING

As someone who has been a performer in the adult film industry for 11 years now, and someone who unknowingly had my toes dipped in the "mope" pool in my first couple of years in, I can attest to the fact that the makers of this film either A. Were involved with the adult industry themselves at some point, or B. Truly did their research, because everything from the terminology used, to the tone of these sets and the way people are treated and spoken to, to the progression of how things occur, were all nearly 100% accurate. Plus, about 50% of the cast was made up of actual XXX industry people and that added to the legitimacy of the vibe as well.

Perhaps it is because I have been in similar shoes and experienced some of these themes myself in reality, but I didn't really perceive the film as a comedy at all, and honestly comedy is generally a whack genre - this movie has more merit than that. It is very effective as a jarring, bleak re-telling of a tragic real life story, which should be considered this film's primary purpose anyhow - it's a solid drama and it's will make you feel like you need to take a shower afterwards, exactly as it should. This is a very dark, very real pocket of reality that most people have no idea exists - and this is the only film that's ever been made about it, so it deserves credit for doing it loyally.

It was my first impression of lead actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and he definitely steals the show, selling a very unique character that somehow manages to be incredibly complex and incredibly simple at the same time. At first he just seems naive and dumb, but as the film progresses you learn there is a lot more going on with him psychologically - this is one of the most impressive aspects of the film - it's very well written and VERY well acted, with great intensity. Familiar face Brian Huskey also puts in a very memorable, and relatively striking performance as their "boss", in a sense. The smaller role from David Arquette was a welcomed surprised and he ANNIHILATED his role too - Level 100 jerk, fully sold.

I do think one of the ways the film could have improved overall is by trimming off a bit of the fat in the edit, but otherwise the film flows very well. I think it's directed, shot, and edited very tastefully. I was impressed. The film also has some really great original music on the score by Jonathan Snipes of the group clipping, which I will be adding to my Spotify playlists.

Now, not everyone will be able to handle or appreciate this movie, considering the subject matter and the tone which is strictly in the realm of seediness and grime. There are only two scenes that are truly set to repulse those who don't have a head for perversion or a stomach for large amounts of bodily fluids, and one of them is the opening scene. But, know that most of the movie is nothing like the opening scene - however, it is the most appropriate and necessary way to open this film, 100%. All in all, a lot of people who don't realize how real this seedy underworld is are gonna think this is some try-hard trash film, but the truth is it's an important document eternalizing some niche history dealing with a bizarre and primarily unknown shadowy corner of contemporary U.S. culture.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 June 2019 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Mope

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parkside Pictures, Saxton Cinema, Uncooperative Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Color:

Color