Based on a script originally written by Jurassic World’s Colin Trevorrow, this British comedy uses the ideas of improv to ramp up the stakes in every scene, creating a hilarious film with a stacked cast of incredible actors.
★★★★☆
Three misfits meet at an improv comedy workshop: Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard) is the teacher, an unsuccessful comedian still waiting for her big break; Marlon (Orlando Bloom), a serious method actor who only ever books pizza commercials; and Hugh (Nick Mohammed), an accountant who is missing the spark in his life. The three of them are recruited by Billings (Sean Bean), a police detective who wants to use improv comedians to go undercover due to their ability to think on their feet. Once undercover they go far too deep, ending up working for a drug mafia boss Fly (Paddy Considine).
The three lead stars are better here than we have ever seen them, most notably Orlando Bloom. Marlon is an actor who wants to be taken seriously, but is never given the role to do so, this is a clever wink toward the audience’s pre-conceived notions of Bloom. The funniest parts of this film are when Bloom goes full Daniel Day-Lewis, committing to the undercover character so passionately that it gets everyone else in trouble. The little moments of open reflection on what his character should or shouldn’t do, that characteristic Bloom smize that distracts in other films but is hilarious here; it all culminates in the actor’s best performance in close to 20 years. This is precisely the type of film he should be making at this stage in his career, using the audience’s idea of Bloom and running with it.
For Mohammed, this is a long way away from Ted Lasso. In Deep Cover he is not just the butt of the joke but also a bonafide action hero by the end. Hugh makes every scene he appear in funny, especially when he is trying to be scary or menacing. Mohammed has such a lovable every-man type look that when Fly makes him take cocaine, you can’t help but laugh at the situation he’s got himself into.
Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly wrote Deep Cover over 15 years ago, intending to set the film in New York, but the project was shelved in favour of Trevorrow’s 2012 debut Safety Not Guaranteed. Trevorrow later gave the script to comedy duo Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen, and hired Stath Lets Flats director Tom Kingsley, coming on board as a producer. The resulting combination of an American concept and British sketch humour culminates in a film with such pace and energy. The film often goes a mile a minute, moving from scene to scene without pause for breath. You’re having so much fun with the characters that it feels a lot shorter than its hour-fifty runtime.
One of the best things Ashenden and Owen brought to this was making London a central character in the story. Almost all of the film was shot on location, and seeing these well-established characters in such recognisable areas considerably elevates the film.
The Verdict
This action comedy showcases all of its actors’ best traits. The breezy script is a lot of fun, and there are plenty of laughs to be had. If Amazon wanted, this could be the start of a very successful comedy franchise.
Words by Jordon Searle
Deep Cover is streaming now on Amazon Prime
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