'Deep Cover' Review: Howard, Bloom & Mohammed Shine in This Witty, Offbeat Undercover Comedy

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Jun 11

Written By Jonathan P. Moustakas

Three Misfits, One Ridiculous Mission. ‘Deep Cover’ Is Pure Improv Mayhem With Real Heart, In A Original Concecpt Rooted In Action Comedy Origins.

A Tribeca breakout with undeniable charm, Deep Cover is a sly, stylish, and sublimely ridiculous crime comedy that embraces its improvisational spirit with unflinching confidence. Directed with kinetic flair and co-written by Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen, the film turns a seemingly simple premise into a layered farce, bolstered by knockout performances from Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Nick Mohammed. What begins as a sting operation to catch cigarette bootleggers in London transforms into a hilariously tangled web of deception, character work, and unexpected gangland infamy.

Mohammed plays Hugh, an IT specialist so devoid of charisma that he’s practically invisible, and Bloom is Marlon, a delusional method actor obsessed with overpreparing for roles no one wants him to play. They stumble into each other’s orbit at an improv class taught by Kat (Howard), a charismatic instructor whose own career is stalled and in need of cash. When she’s approached by grizzled detective Billings (Sean Bean) to run a covert sting operation with faces unfamiliar to the criminal underworld, Kat reluctantly agrees—and ropes in her only available students: Marlon and Hugh. From there, chaos, confusion, and accidental criminal stardom ensue.

Howard anchors the film with finesse. Her Kat is a grounded force amidst escalating lunacy, her expressions of exasperation as funny as her command of each scene. Bloom proves he has a dormant comedic beast inside him, devouring every line and improvisational flourish with manic gusto. Marlon’s obsession with crafting ornate backstories for their faux criminal personas yields some of the movie’s most hysterical turns, especially when they start to believe their own lies. Mohammed is all deadpan awkwardness and unintentional brilliance—his ineptitude is so convincing that it becomes his superpower.

What elevates Deep Cover from good to great is its precise orchestration of chaos. Each scene builds on the previous one’s absurdity, yet the film never loses its internal logic. The humor remains character-driven, even as the trio somehow climbs the ladder of London’s criminal elite. A parallel subplot with Ashenden and Owen as bumbling detectives trying to make sense of the trio’s sudden rise to power adds another delightful layer. The film pokes fun at both procedural cop shows and earnest acting workshops with the same deftness.

The supporting cast shines in key moments. Sean Bean brings a gravitas to Billings that makes his exasperation with the improv troupe all the more hilarious. The duo of Ashenden and Owen injects a refreshing, deadpan rhythm, especially when Owen’s wide-eyed rookie cop parrots crime-drama clichés with earnest conviction. Their subplot could've felt extraneous, but instead becomes one of the movie’s secret weapons—another meta-textual jab at genre conventions.

Beyond its laughs, Deep Cover also says something oddly sweet about performance, perception, and the absurdity of taking yourself too seriously. For a film that begins with cigarette stings, it ends up exploring identity and self-worth with surprising sincerity. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, wrapping things up with an unpredictable third act that manages to surprise without sacrificing tone.

The film thrives on specificity: the accents, the wardrobe, the hilariously convoluted “criminal” code names. The improvisational roots of the script show not in laziness, but in how lived-in the performances feel. These are characters with quirks, tics, and motivations that all work together in offbeat harmony. Even when the plot goes gloriously off the rails, you’re invested not just in the gags—but in the people behind them.

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If there’s one minor quibble, it’s the believability of hardened criminals falling for the ruse. But like any great improv set, suspension of disbelief is part of the magic. With its sharp writing, pitch-perfect casting, and an ending that leaves you wanting more, Deep Cover feels like a franchise in the making. You get the sense these three could be dropped into any undercover mission, anywhere in the world, and still deliver comedy gold.

With Deep Cover, Ashenden and Owen don’t just spoof crime movies—they pay homage to the art of storytelling itself. And in Howard, Bloom, and Mohammed, they’ve found a trio that could very well become one of comedy’s most unexpected ensembles.