Directed by: Bill Duke
Film noir hits the mean streets of 1990s Los Angeles in this stylish and subversive underworld odyssey from veteran actor-director Bill Duke. Laurence Fishburne stars as Russell Stevens, a police officer who goes undercover as “John Hull,” the partner of a dangerously ambitious cocaine trafficker (Jeff Goldblum), to infiltrate and bring down a powerful Latin American drug ring operating in LA.
The deeper Stevens descends into this ruthless world of money, violence, and power, the more disillusioned he becomes—and the harder it is to see the line between right and wrong, crime and justice. Steeped in shadowy, neon-soaked atmosphere and featuring Dr. Dre’s debut solo single, Deep Cover is an unsung gem of the nineties’ Black cinema wave, delivering a riveting character study and sleek action thrills alongside a furious moral indictment of America and the devastating failures of the war on drugs.
| Feature | Description |
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New 4K Digital Restoration |
New 4K digital restoration of Deep Cover, presented with a 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack for refined image and sound quality. |
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Interview with Bill Duke |
New interview with director Bill Duke discussing the film’s production, themes, and its place in his career. |
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Conversation with Racquel J. Gates & Michael B. Gillespie |
New conversation between film scholars Racquel J. Gates and Michael B. Gillespie about Deep Cover’s place within the early 1990s Black film boom and the noir tradition. |
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Conversation on the Title Track & Hip-Hop |
New conversation between scholar Claudrena N. Harold and professor, DJ, and podcaster Oliver Wang about the film’s title track and its importance in hip-hop history. |
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2018 Panel Discussion |
Panel discussion from 2018 featuring Bill Duke and Laurence Fishburne, moderated by film critic Elvis Mitchell, reflecting on the film’s legacy. |
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Trailer |
Original theatrical trailer for Deep Cover. |
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English SDH Subtitles |
English subtitles present |
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Booklet Essay |
Printed essay by scholar Michael B. Gillespie offering a critical perspective on the film and its political and cultural context. |