# So Undercover
**So Undercover** is a 2012 American action comedy film directed by Tom Vaughan, in which [Miley Cyrus](https://www.edgepedia.org/miley-cyrus) plays Molly Morris, a tough, street-smart private investigator hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority to guard the daughter of an important witness in an organized-crime case.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/so_undercover) The screenplay was written by Allan Loeb and Steven Pearl, and the cast includes [Jeremy Piven](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeremy-piven), Mike O'Malley, Kelly Osbourne, and Joshua Bowman.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/so-undercover/cast/2030204478/) The film was announced in November 2010 as a star vehicle for Cyrus, then transitioning out of her *Hannah Montana* television career, but it never reached theaters in the United States and was released direct-to-DVD there in February 2013.[3](https://www.thewrap.com/miley-cyrus-play-teenage-private-eye-so-undercover-22265/) • [4](https://misantropey.com/2019/05/21/ivy-on-celluloid-so-undercover/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 2012; UK theatrical release December 7, 2012; US DVD and Blu-ray February 5, 2013, with no US theatrical run[5](https://www.timeout.com/movies/so-undercover) • [6](https://www.newdvdreleasedates.com/m1146/so-undercover-dvd-release-date) |
| Director and writers | Tom Vaughan (*What Happens in Vegas*); screenplay by Allan Loeb and Steven Pearl[3](https://www.thewrap.com/miley-cyrus-play-teenage-private-eye-so-undercover-22265/) |
| Lead role | Miley Cyrus as Molly Morris, a private investigator who poses as sorority sister "Brooke Stonebridge"[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/so_undercover) • [4](https://misantropey.com/2019/05/21/ivy-on-celluloid-so-undercover/) |
| Supporting cast | Jeremy Piven (Armon), Mike O'Malley (Sam), Joshua Bowman (Nicholas), Lauren McKnight (Alex), Kelly Osbourne (Becky)[2](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/so-undercover/cast/2030204478/) |
| Format | 94 minutes, rated PG-13[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1766094/) |
| Reception | 6% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (17 reviews) and 49% on the Popcornmeter; 5.0/10 on IMDb from about 22,000 users[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/so_undercover) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1766094/) |
| Box office | $2,562,285 internationally, all from markets outside the United States[8](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr792220165/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Molly Morris works with her ex-cop father Sam ([Mike O'Malley](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-omalley)) as a private investigator specializing in adultery cases, taking covert photographs of suspected cheaters.[9](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/so-undercover) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/dec/06/so-undercover-review) An FBI agent, Armon (Jeremy Piven), recruits her to pose as a transferring sorority sister at a New Orleans college and cozy up to Alex (Lauren McKnight), a potential witness whose father is set to testify against the mob.[9](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/so-undercover) • [11](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/listings/982759737/so-undercover-2012/) Molly's assignment is to convince Alex to turn over critical evidence, which requires her to transform herself from a streetwise investigator into a refined university girl.[9](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/so-undercover) • [12](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/so-undercover) The assignment is complicated when she begins falling for Nicholas (Joshua Bowman), who may or may not be involved in the case.[9](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/so-undercover)
## Production
Exclusive Media Group announced the project at the American Film Market on November 3, 2010, with production scheduled to begin that December.[3](https://www.thewrap.com/miley-cyrus-play-teenage-private-eye-so-undercover-22265/) Exclusive produced and fully financed the film and handled worldwide sales.[3](https://www.thewrap.com/miley-cyrus-play-teenage-private-eye-so-undercover-22265/) The producers were Exclusive's co-chairmen Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, Tish Cyrus, and the two screenwriters through their company Scarlet Fire Entertainment; Jodi Zuckerman-Weiner executive produced for Cyrus's company Hope Town Entertainment, alongside Rob Cowan.[3](https://www.thewrap.com/miley-cyrus-play-teenage-private-eye-so-undercover-22265/) Jeremy Piven and Mike O'Malley joined the cast in a later announcement.[13](https://www.thewrap.com/jeremy-piven-mike-omalley-join-miley-cyrus-so-undercover-23820/)
Although the college in the story is never named, exterior and on-campus scenes were shot against the backdrop of [Tulane University](https://www.edgepedia.org/tulane-university)'s campus in uptown New Orleans.[4](https://misantropey.com/2019/05/21/ivy-on-celluloid-so-undercover/) The fictional sorority in the film is named Kappa Kappa Zeta, and Molly's cover story is that she is transferring from a University of Hawaii chapter of [Kappa Kappa Gamma](https://www.edgepedia.org/kappa-kappa-gamma).[4](https://misantropey.com/2019/05/21/ivy-on-celluloid-so-undercover/) Time Out reported that the working title had been *I'm, Like, Sooo Undercover* before it was shortened.[5](https://www.timeout.com/movies/so-undercover)
## Release
Distribution went through a series of delays and rights exchanges. The film opened theatrically in the United Kingdom and a handful of other international markets in December 2012, but went straight to DVD in the United States, debuting on February 5, 2013.[4](https://misantropey.com/2019/05/21/ivy-on-celluloid-so-undercover/) • [6](https://www.newdvdreleasedates.com/m1146/so-undercover-dvd-release-date) Screen's review noted that the December 2012 UK box office was dominated by the final *Twilight* film, *Skyfall*, and *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey*, making a significant theatrical run unlikely.[14](https://www.screendaily.com/so-undercover/5049642.article)
[Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) records $2,562,285 in grosses, all international, led by the Netherlands ($753,681), Russia/CIS ($375,683), and Italy ($324,536); the UK run took $297,423.[8](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr792220165/) The film later became widely available on streaming services, including Prime Video, Hulu, and Peacock, and on ad-supported platforms.[12](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/so-undercover)
## Reception
Critical response was negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 6% Tomatometer from 17 reviews against a 49% audience score from more than 5,000 ratings.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/so_undercover) The Guardian's Henry Barnes gave it two of five stars, writing that Cyrus "seems bored, as if ready to jump ship to another movie," and called the film derivative of *Mean Girls*, *Never Been Kissed*, and *21 Jump Street*.[10](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/dec/06/so-undercover-review) Time Out's Guy Lodge called it an "anodyne 'Miss Congeniality' rip-off" and judged Cyrus miscast.[5](https://www.timeout.com/movies/so-undercover) The Independent's review described the plot's reasons for the infiltration as not entirely clear.[15](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/movie-review-so-undercover-8390530.html)
Screen's Mark Adams offered a more qualified view, writing that the film works on a limited level for Cyrus's core audience and that she plays on "her genuine perky charm and solid sense of comedy timing," even as the crime subplot plods.[14](https://www.screendaily.com/so-undercover/5049642.article) Common Sense Media criticized the predictable plot and flat characterizations, noting that Piven and O'Malley were underused.[9](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/so-undercover) On IMDb the film holds a user rating of 5.0/10 from about 22,000 voters.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1766094/)
## References
1. [So Undercover, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/so_undercover)
2. [So Undercover – Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/so-undercover/cast/2030204478/)
3. [Miley Cyrus to Play Teenage Private Eye in 'So Undercover', TheWrap (November 3, 2010)](https://www.thewrap.com/miley-cyrus-play-teenage-private-eye-so-undercover-22265/)
4. [Ivy On Celluloid: So Undercover, Misan[trope]y (May 21, 2019)](https://misantropey.com/2019/05/21/ivy-on-celluloid-so-undercover/)
5. [So Undercover review, Time Out (December 4, 2012)](https://www.timeout.com/movies/so-undercover)
6. [So Undercover DVD Release Date, NewDVDReleaseDates](https://www.newdvdreleasedates.com/m1146/so-undercover-dvd-release-date)
7. [So Undercover (2012), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1766094/)
8. [So Undercover, Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr792220165/)
9. [So Undercover – Parents' Guide & Movie Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/so-undercover)
10. [So Undercover – review, The Guardian (December 6, 2012)](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/dec/06/so-undercover-review)
11. [So Undercover (2012) TV Schedule, On TV Tonight](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/listings/982759737/so-undercover-2012/)
12. [So Undercover streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/so-undercover)
13. [Jeremy Piven & Mike O'Malley Join Miley Cyrus in 'So Undercover', TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/jeremy-piven-mike-omalley-join-miley-cyrus-so-undercover-23820/)
14. [So Undercover review, Screen (December 4, 2012)](https://www.screendaily.com/so-undercover/5049642.article)
15. [Movie review: So Undercover, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/movie-review-so-undercover-8390530.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2010–2014 films › Titles M to W*
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