# Deep Cover (2025 film)
**Deep Cover** is a 2025 British action comedy directed by Tom Kingsley, in which three improv actors are hired by the police to stage low-level stings and, following their instinct to always say yes without breaking character, end up deep inside London's criminal underworld. It stars [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://www.edgepedia.org/bryce-dallas-howard), Orlando Bloom, and [Nick Mohammed](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-mohammed), and streamed on Prime Video from June 12, 2025.[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover) • [2](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0U0F46HYKBAPTYRW0ZY43BIRPO?tr=ag)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premise | Three improv actors are hired by police for low-level stings; their "always say yes" instinct carries them into London's gangland[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover) |
| Director and writers | Directed by Tom Kingsley; written by Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow, Ben Ashenden, and Alexander Owen[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover) |
| Lead cast | Bryce Dallas Howard (Kat), Orlando Bloom (Marlon), Nick Mohammed (Hugh), with Sean Bean, Paddy Considine, Sonoya Mizuno, and Ian McShane[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31121295/fullcredits/) |
| Release | Premiered at Tribeca Festival 2025 on June 10 as a Spotlight Narrative; on Prime Video June 12, 2025[4](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/deep-cover-cast-plot-and-everything-we-know) |
| Runtime and rating | 99 minutes; rated R for violent content, language throughout, and drug use[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_cover_2025) |
| Reception | 90% Tomatometer from 60 reviews and 79% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; Metascore 67 on Metacritic; IMDb 6.7/10[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_cover_2025) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/deep-cover-2025/) |
| Awards | Winner, Best TV & Streaming Motion Picture, 2026 Writers Guild Awards; Critics Choice Award nominee, Best Movie Made for Television[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard) is an improv comedy teacher beginning to question whether she has missed her shot at success. When an undercover cop ([Sean Bean](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-bean)) offers her the role of a lifetime, she recruits two of her students, Marlon ([Orlando Bloom](https://www.edgepedia.org/orlando-bloom)) and Hugh (Nick Mohammed), to infiltrate London's gangland by impersonating dangerous criminals.[2](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0U0F46HYKBAPTYRW0ZY43BIRPO?tr=ag) The Guardian described the setup as three hapless improv actors dragooned into going deep cover to bust a drug ring, with the film set in London.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jun/12/deep-cover-review-bryce-dallas-howard-orlando-bloom-nick-mohammed-sean-bean-paddy-considine) The supporting cast includes [Paddy Considine](https://www.edgepedia.org/paddy-considine) as Fly, Sonoya Mizuno as Shosh, Ian McShane as Metcalfe, and Ben Ashenden as Dawes.[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31121295/fullcredits/) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/deep-cover-2025/)
## Development
The film is based on an original script written by [Colin Trevorrow](https://www.edgepedia.org/colin-trevorrow) and Derek Connolly in 2010. Ten years later, while isolated in the *Jurassic World Dominion* filming bubble with the British comedy duo The Pin, Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen, a new version was born; the duo reset the film in London with what the production company calls their British sensibilities and sharp humor.[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover) The project was announced in February 2024, with Tom Kingsley set to direct.[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31121295/) Ashenden and Owen also appear on screen as two squabbling police officers.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jun/12/deep-cover-review-bryce-dallas-howard-orlando-bloom-nick-mohammed-sean-bean-paddy-considine)
Kingsley, a BAFTA winner with a background in character-driven comedy, said in a June 2025 interview that the filmmakers tried to emulate [Tony Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-scott)'s style in the film, and noted that [Ian McShane](https://www.edgepedia.org/ian-mcshane) improvised a line so useful to the story that it appears in the movie trailer.[9](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/interviews/2025/Jun/10/tom-kingsley-we-tried-to-emulate-tony-scotts-style-in-deep-cover)
## Release
Deep Cover premiered at the Tribeca Festival 2025 on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, as a Spotlight Narrative, and launched on Prime Video on Thursday, June 12, 2025.[4](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/deep-cover-cast-plot-and-everything-we-know) It also had its world premiere as the Centrepiece Headliner of the inaugural SXSW London Screen Festival.[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover) The official trailer was published on April 30, 2025 and drew over 14.5 million views on YouTube.[10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x--MaHsbEc) Within a day of release the film had reached number 3 on the Prime Video top 10 movies list.[11](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/prime-video/prime-video-just-added-a-seriously-funny-action-comedy-movie-starring-orlando-bloom-and-bryce-dallas-howard-and-you-should-stream-it-now)
## Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 90% Tomatometer from 60 reviews and a 79% Popcornmeter from more than 1,000 audience ratings; its critics consensus compares the film to a good improv skit that treats an amusing setup with a freewheeling sense of fun.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_cover_2025) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 67 based on 10 critic reviews, with 60 percent positive and 40 percent mixed, and a user score of 6.6.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/deep-cover-2025/) IMDb lists a 6.7/10 rating.[2](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0U0F46HYKBAPTYRW0ZY43BIRPO?tr=ag)
Reviewers singled out individual performances. Empire's Ben Travis gave four stars and praised the central conceit, writing that the film delivers strong characterization, a twisty crime story, and great performances.[11](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/prime-video/prime-video-just-added-a-seriously-funny-action-comedy-movie-starring-orlando-bloom-and-bryce-dallas-howard-and-you-should-stream-it-now) The New York Times's Glenn Kenny wrote that the ensemble is packed with seasoned acting professionals who more than sell their drunk scenes.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_cover_2025) One critic called Orlando Bloom's turn as a classically trained actor turned career criminal the best performance he had seen from the actor in years.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_cover_2025) Cineuropa's review took a more reserved view, calling it a tonally uneven action-comedy that tries to blend improv theater antics with gangland grit.[12](https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/480396)
The film won Best TV & Streaming Motion Picture at the 2026 Writers Guild Awards and was nominated for the Critics Choice Award for Best Movie Made for Television.[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover)
## Production details
The film was produced by Colin Trevorrow, Walter F. Parkes, and Laurie MacDonald for Amazon MGM Studios, with Metronome Film Co. and Parkes/MacDonald Image Nation as production companies.[1](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_cover_2025) [Daniel Pemberton](https://www.edgepedia.org/daniel-pemberton) composed the score, Will Hanke was the cinematographer, and Mark Williams edited.[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31121295/fullcredits/) The film was shot in a scope aspect ratio of 2.35:1.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_cover_2025)
## References
1. [Deep Cover, Metronome Film Company](https://www.metronomefilm.com/film-tv/deep-cover)
2. [Deep Cover, Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0U0F46HYKBAPTYRW0ZY43BIRPO?tr=ag)
3. [Deep Cover (2025) Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31121295/fullcredits/)
4. [Deep Cover: release date, cast, plot, trailer, What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/deep-cover-cast-plot-and-everything-we-know)
5. [Deep Cover (2025), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_cover_2025)
6. [Deep Cover Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/deep-cover-2025/)
7. [Deep Cover review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jun/12/deep-cover-review-bryce-dallas-howard-orlando-bloom-nick-mohammed-sean-bean-paddy-considine)
8. [Deep Cover (2025), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31121295/)
9. [Tom Kingsley: We tried to emulate Tony Scott's style in Deep Cover, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/interviews/2025/Jun/10/tom-kingsley-we-tried-to-emulate-tony-scotts-style-in-deep-cover)
10. [Deep Cover - Official Trailer | Prime Video, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x--MaHsbEc)
11. [Prime Video just got a hilarious new action comedy, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/prime-video/prime-video-just-added-a-seriously-funny-action-comedy-movie-starring-orlando-bloom-and-bryce-dallas-howard-and-you-should-stream-it-now)
12. [Review: Deep Cover, Cineuropa](https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/480396)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Action comedies › Action comedies, 2020s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license