Deep Cover is a comedic story about people using specific skills in unusual places. Kat Boyles (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a struggling comic teaching improv. In her class she has two students who are also aimless. First, there’s Marlon Swift (Orlando Bloom) who wants to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor. Then there’s Hugh (Nick Mohammed), a man who find socializing incredibly awkward. By chance, the trio gets recruited by Detective Sergeant Graham Billings (Sean Bean) to do some light undercover work. The three are to pose as members of the drug trade in a sting operation to nab some dealers. However, when their simple situation accidentally intensifies, Kat, Marlon, and Nick must put in the greatest performances of their lives.
What works in Deep Cover is the escalating absurdity. Howard, Bloom, and Mohammed make for a fun little squad. Each has their own quirks and extreme character traits that when blended creates strong comedic chemistry. In the best way—like any good skit or sketch—the whole thing only works because of all three collaborating together in sync. And that’s probably the best way to describe Deep Cover: one big improv sketch. As the narrative unfolds, it continues to build in weird, unexpected ways. It takes a relatively simple premise and employs the well-known “yes, and” technique which allows the script to go completely bonkers. Fortunately, the whole affair is self-aware enough that the concept works and provides for a thoroughly entertaining experience.
RELATED: Bryce Dallas Howard Honors Father In Mandalorian Easter Egg
People who don’t like ridiculousness may not enjoy Deep Cover as much as others. The first 20 or so minutes in particular might feel a bit stale. As the movie ramps up, it spends a lot of time introducing the characters and their faults specifically. These moments of failure will likely make people wince more than laugh. Kat’s friends are all unnecessarily rude and mean; Marlon overdoes everything; and Hugh says and does things that will make watchers cringe constantly. Once the Deep Cover gets rolling, it’s much more palatable but the violence may surprise some. While everything has a comedic undertone, there is some mostly off-screen gore that might turn some stomachs.
Deep Cover is a silly romp that will likely evoke several good laughs. The concept of making an entire movie into a sketch feels like a risky proposition, but the three leads make it work well. While it won’t be universally appreciated, Deep Cover satisfies a specific comedy craving. Recommended.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Game Night, Date Night, Horrible Bosses
Deep Cover is now available on Amazon Prime.
FOR FANBOYS, BY FANBOYS
Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcasts and videos on The Genreverse Podcast Network? Available on YouTube and all your favorite podcast apps, This multimedia empire includes The Daily CoG, Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, Anime-Versal Review Podcast, and our Star Wars dedicated podcast The Cantina. Check it out by listening on all your favorite podcast apps, or watching on YouTube!
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play
