Title – Deep Cover (2025)

Director – Tom Kingsley (Black Pond)

Cast – Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, Sean Bean, Paddy Considine, Sonoya Mizuno, Ian McShane

Plot – A trio of comedy improv actors, teacher Kat (Dallas Howard), wannabe actor Marlon (Bloom) and mild-mannered office worker Hugh (Mohammed) are recruited by grizzled police officer Billings (Bean) to go undercover and infiltrate the criminal operations of notorious crime boss Fly (Considine).  

“If you want to survive, improvise”

Review by Eddie on 01/10/2025

A refreshingly old-school and uncomplicated British backed comedy that is one of Amazon Prime’s high profile original offerings for the 2025 calendar year, Tom Kingsley’s surprisingly solid Deep Cover is one of this years small wins that showcases just how enjoyable comedies can be with the right attitude, cast and attempt to keep things simple.

With a rather generic plot-line of a rag tag crew who are lumped together in a fish out of water circumstance, here a lowly bunch of improv comedians getting enlisted by the police force to go deep undercover to gain evidence on an organised crime ring, Cover certainly doesn’t try in any significant way to overcome trappings and tropes of the genre but with everyone having fun and a solid laugh ratio found across its runtime, Kingsley’s film is a thankfully baggage free feature that stays within its lane.

One of the keys to Kingsley’s film outside of the screenplay that includes input from Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow is the winning casting of its three leads with Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed generating great chemistry with each other that is enhanced by some fun supporting turns from a loaded cast that includes Paddy Considine, Sean Bean and a shining chompers sporting Ian McShane.

Acting as if the horrors of the turkey that was Argylle never existed, it’s great to see Dallas Howard back to her usual happy self as acting teacher Kat and with her on song the combination of a best he’s been in years Bloom as the method acting Marlon and a scene-stealing Mohammed as office worker Hugh ensures that Cover is always a pleasant experience even when the more paint by numbers final acts start to roll in and take centre stage.

A timely reminder that this type of breezy, agenda free and harmless feature film has a place in the current age of cinema and filmmaking, Cover is an above average direct to streaming genre effort that acts as the perfect at home option for anyone looking for a fun and frivolous movie watching option.

Final Say –

The type of perfectly designed uninspired but highly entertaining comedy we don’t get enough of these days, Deep Cover works wonders with its winning cast and solid laugh ratio giving us a timely reminder of the joys of simple yet effective comedic offerings.

3 1/2 product tests out of 5