A One Mann’s Movies review of “Deep Cover” (2025).
New on Prime Video is a fun little caper movie from Tom Kingsley called “Deep Cover”. It managed to surprise me in a number of ways, not least of which is the fact that Orlando Bloom can deliver a seriously funny comedic turn.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Deep Cover” Plot:
Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a struggling actor, making ends meet in London as a teacher of improv comedy. Trying to better themselves through improv are an IT-support nobody Hugh (Nick Mohammed) and another struggling actor Marlon (Orlando Bloom). One night, Kat is approached by a detective from the Met Police, Billings (Sean Bean), who hires Kat, Hugh and Marlon to use their ‘skills’ to go undercover and infiltrate an East London gang let by Fly (Paddy Considine). Fly ultimately reports to the terrifying mob boss Metcalfe (Ian McShane). The trio quickly find themselves in very deep and dangerous water.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Violence, injury detail, sex references, drug misuse, very strong language.”)
Talent:
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, Paddy Considine, Ian McShane, Sonoya Mizuno, Ben Ashenden, Alexander Owen, Omid Djalili.
Directed by: Tom Kingsley.
Written by: Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow, Ben Ashenden & Alexander Owen.
Running Time: 1h 39m.
“Deep Cover” Summary:
Positives:
- A comedy that managed to rack up the laughs.
- A top-notch cast.
- Orlando Bloom is hilarious, perhaps because he is so unexpectedly funny.
Negatives:
- Bumbling cops are a misstep.
- This might have made for a family-friendly comedy if the violence and language had been toned down a tad.
Review of “Deep Cover”:
Yes, and…
Anyone who has dabbled with improv comedy (and I did spend a couple of terms at a very fun class in Fareham a couple of years ago) will recognise the “Yes, and…” mode of interaction taught here by a very good Bryce Dallas Howard. Most of the laughs in the film arise from these three no-hopers trying to improv their way through the interactions with increasingly dangerous gangsters and hit-men. It’s all ludicrous stuff, but handled in such a fun and light-hearted way that I couldn’t help but go along with it.
Orlando hits the funny bone.
Nick Mohammed, who is more familiar on UK TV screens than feature films, always makes me laugh with his somewhat reserved and awkward Englishman and here he is perfectly cast as a somewhat reserved and awkward Englishman. (And he’s a Geophysicist by training, which all the best people are!) As his alter-ego “The Squire” (LOL) he always feels like the one who is most out of his depth!
But star of the show, comedy-wise, and perhaps only because it is so unexpected, is Orlando Bloom as Marlon. Marlon takes method acting to a whole new, absurdly Dustin-Hoffman-like, level digging himself hole after hole as he takes it several steps too far. For example, he claims, in his deeply affected Mancunian accent, that he left his parents at the age of 5, travelled the world, ended up training the Taliban in Afghanistan, etc. etc. until Metcalfe (Ian McShane) points out that he still has his Mancunian accent. “Yeah, I came back” he riffs in unconvincing response. A scene where his cover is unceremoniously blown by a pizza ad showing on the TV is hilarious.
A solid cast.
Elsewhere, Paddy Considine is always good value; Ian McShane has a lot of fun with his gangster-chief, bizarrely adopting a Scottish accent, and Omid Djalili appears for a brief but memorable cameo.
Also striking a strong impression is Japanese-born English actress Sonoya Mizuno as some right-hand-muscle to Paddy Considine’s Fly. She looks and acts for all the world like Paris from “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning“: I had to really look twice to check that it wasn’t in fact Pom Klementieff. Mizuno, a strong favourite with Alex Garland, was the silent servant in “Ex Machina” and has also appeared in “Crazy Rich Asians“, “Annihilation” and “Civil War“.
Some bumbling cops are a misstep.
Elsewhere, a couple of bumbling detectives, Dawes and Beverley, played by two of the co-writers Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen, I found generally unfunny. Beverley feels like a role that Stephen Merchant might have suited, and I felt throughout that Owen was ‘doing a Merchant impression’. (I might be wrong here, but it would be funny if that turns out to be right and the role was originally written for Merchant!).
For a fun concept it has sharp, 15-certificate edges.
So, it’s not going to win any major awards and I’m not sure I will remember it much after a few weeks. But I really enjoyed it while it was on. I would question, given the light-hearted concept, why it perhaps needed to have all of the swearing and so much graphic violence. There was a potential to produce something here that would have maybe got away with a 12A certificate and been more suitable for family viewing with older children.
Summary Thoughts on “Deep Cover”
There haven’t been many great comedies so far this year and I’m not sure I would rate this one as ‘great’. But it did have its moments and both myself and the illustrious Mrs Movie Man enjoyed watching this one. Well worth a viewing if you have Prime.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Deep Cover”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x–MaHsbEc.
Subscribe
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to One Mann’s Movies to receive future reviews by email right here. No salesman will call!
