Showing posts with label British comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British comedy. Show all posts

Thursday, 13 August 2026

PREVIEW: 49 Miles More (2026 Film) - Starring Reece Henderson and Gregory Fung


Preview by Jon Donnis

Oliver Cox’s refreshing British buddy comedy 49 Miles More is heading to UK digital on 17 August, courtesy of Reel2Reel Films, bringing a warm-hearted story of friendship, growing up and the unexpected adventures that can come from life going completely off course.

Starring Reece Henderson (Lure) and Gregory Fung (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), the film is described as a love letter to coming-of-age classics and the enduring friendships that help us through life’s more difficult moments.

The story follows Max (Henderson), an unlucky insurance salesman, and his fun-loving best friend Doug (Fung) as they set off for their university reunion. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, leaving the chalk-and-cheese pair with little choice but to continue their journey on foot.

What follows is a gruelling 49-mile trek that puts their friendship to the test. With bad detours, questionable decisions and plenty of obstacles standing in their way, the pair are forced to rely on each other as they attempt to reach their destination.

At its heart, 49 Miles More looks set to be a character-driven comedy about the sometimes messy transition into adulthood. Max and Doug may not have much in common, but their friendship has endured, and their unexpected adventure gives them the chance to reflect on where life has taken them and whether growing up really means growing apart.

With its combination of British humour, friendship and a long-distance journey that neither man could have planned for, 49 Miles More could offer an entertaining and relatable take on the buddy comedy when it arrives on UK digital this August.

49 Miles More is on UK digital 17 August from Reel2Reel Films



Friday, 18 July 2025

Deep Cover (2025 film) starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed

Deep Cover

Review by Jon Donnis

Deep Cover takes a daft idea and somehow makes it work. It shouldn't. A trio of struggling improv actors being recruited by the Met to go undercover in London's criminal underworld sounds like something a writer came up with at 2am as a joke. But instead of playing it loud and broad, the film keeps a straight face, and that's what makes it funny. It doesn't wink at the audience. It leans all the way in.

Bryce Dallas Howard is ideal as Kat, an American comic teaching improv to a handful of aimless hopefuls. She's hit that stage in life where nothing's gone the way she expected. Her visa's nearly up, her friends are all married or wealthy or both, and she's quietly panicking. Then she meets DS Billings, played by Sean Bean with just enough menace to raise eyebrows but not enough to scare her off. He needs actors for a low-level sting. She says yes.


She ropes in two students. Marlon, played by Orlando Bloom, is an actor who's been dropped by his agent and is desperate for any break. Hugh, played by Nick Mohammed, works in IT, is painfully awkward and probably shouldn't be involved in any of this. The three of them end up playing fake gangsters called Bonnie, Roach and The Squire, and things spiral from there. What starts as a dodgy shopfront cigarette bust turns into a full-blown infiltration of a mid-level gang.

Bloom is the best thing in the film. He's funny without trying too hard and manages to keep Marlon just on the right side of believability. Howard carries the emotional weight of the film. Kat's dry, smart, always improvising, not just in the job but in life. Nick Mohammed, erm.. does what he usually does. If you've seen him in anything else, you'll know the performance. It doesn't wreck the film, but it does feel predictable, has he ever played any other type of character?.


There are moments that shouldn't work at all but somehow land. One scene, where the trio unintentionally cons a gang into buying back their own drugs, is pure chaos and oddly satisfying. Later, they're forced to dismember a body, rent bikes with a company credit card, dodge the police and lie their way through an intervention dinner party. Somehow it all tracks.

Paddy Considine is great as Fly, a gang member who sees something in the trio. Ian McShane brings his usual gravel and gravitas as Metcalfe, the bigger boss pulling strings. Sonoya Mizuno is fantastic as Shosh, who's both lethal and oddly helpful. The film's happy to let its cast carry the tone, never over-explaining or stopping for unnecessary exposition.


The runtime is the only real issue. It's just a bit too long for what it is. If it had shaved ten minutes off, it would've been tighter. There's a moment near the end where things begin to sag, and you can feel the plot gears grinding. But it picks back up for a solid final stretch. The ending manages to be both ridiculous and satisfying. The criminals are brought down, not by real police, but by a group of amateur performers finally nailing their biggest scene.

It's a fun, strange little film. Not groundbreaking. Not trying to be. It just works. The concept is silly, but the cast commit to it completely, and that's why it clicks. Bloom stands out, Howard keeps it grounded, and even though you can see where it's heading, it's still a joy watching them get there. It's a solid Saturday night kind of film, best enjoyed with a takeaway and a glass of wine. Nothing life changing, but definitely worth a watch.

8 out of 10 feels generous but about right.

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