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Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a struggling stand-up comedian from America who teaches an improvisational class in London while hoping her career will lead to bigger and better things. Among her students is Marlon (Orlando Bloom), a frustrated actor who yearns for bigger roles and struggles to escape his reputation as "The Pizza Knight" from a television commercial. Also joining the improv class is Hugh (Nick Mohammed), an introverted corporate employee who hopes to develop his confidence. After Detective Sergeant Billings (Sean Bean) recruits Kat to participate in low-level sting operations in London, she convinces Marlon and Hugh to form a trio with her. Unexpectedly, the three manage to win the trust of a mid-level dealer named Fly (Paddy Considine), who answers to ruthless importer Metcalfe (Ian McShane). The actors rapidly find themselves in over their heads, but they are at the mercy of Billings, who insists that they stay undercover.
Unlike most mainstream comedies, Deep Cover carries an R rating, which permits bloodletting and profanity. It is difficult to imagine a comedy set in this world that would work within the confines of a PG-13 rating, as the swearing makes the characters more believable and amplifies the humour a hundredfold. However, Deep Cover's story is slightly overstuffed, and some of the twists and turns are not exactly surprising. Clocking in at 95 minutes, the movie does not outstay its welcome, but it does try to juggle too many elements, including Albanian gangsters, police actively pursuing the acting trio, and the various levels of the drug-dealing organisation. Nevertheless, this is a minor drawback to an otherwise extremely entertaining comedy.
The script's innate and accurate understanding of actors is one of the cleverest parts of Deep Cover, with the frustrated Marlon continuing to veer off-script during improv scenes and auditions as he desperately begs his agent for proper dramatic work, and Kat enduring ridicule from her friends while pursuing things like solo shows as she tries to crack the big time. Meanwhile, Hugh is inexperienced and struggles with his confidence, unsure about how to act as he takes cues from his fellow performers. Actors will relate to the experiences and characteristics here, with the recognisable traits turning the central trio into likable, relatable people who are easy to care about. Incorporating such characters into an action comedy is simply ingenious.
Deep Cover soars when it puts Marlon, Kat, and Hugh together as they try to navigate tricky situations, including a spectacularly cringey attempt to buy counterfeit cigarettes while a bewildered Billings listens from a distance, and their attempt to intimidate and extract money from a former hitman. Going undercover also necessitates the use of aliases, with Kat, Marlon, and Hugh becoming "Bonnie," "Roach," and "The Squire," putting the improv principle of "yes, and?" to the test. Orlando Bloom, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Nick Mohammed are note-perfect here, playing off each other with ease. The unhinged Bloom is the standout, as Marlon continually takes things too far. It's also fun to see Bloom interact with Lord of the Rings co-star Sean Bean, who's a straight man amid the chaos. Other recognisable also appear, including the always reliable Paddy Considine, who brings personality and edge to the role of fly, and Ian McShane, who turns Metcalfe into a sufficiently sinister kingpin type.
At the helm of Deep Cover is Tom Kingsley, a British television veteran who directed episodes of sitcoms like Stath Lets Flats, Ghosts, and Pls Like. Thanks to his television background, Kingsley brings a high level of energy and a frenetic pace to the production, never dwelling too long on any joke or comedic set piece. Stylistically, the picture emulates the look of British crime movies and TV shows, featuring shadowy, stylish cinematography and an abundance of handheld camerawork. Despite the absurdity of moments like a police chase involving bicycles, Kingsley treats everything with sincerity. An unexpected sense of visual gravitas elevates Deep Cover, as it eschews the bright, clean digital visual style typical of most streaming content. Indeed, even though the picture is frequently uproarious, it carries the appearance of a serious crime thriller rather than a parody or a low-budget imitation.
The decision to send Deep Cover to streaming is baffling, as the picture carries the polished look of a theatrical feature and is far funnier than most comedies that made it to cinemas recently. (It's infinitely better than A Minecraft Movie.) It's an unexpected delight that seemingly emerged out of nowhere, and it will appeal to viewers who enjoy unpretentious action comedies like 21 Jump Street and Hot Fuzz. With its strong British flavour and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, Deep Cover is a funny and highly satisfying romp.
7.4/10
