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45 Great Movies About Going Undercover

From cops posing as crooks to men posing as women, this is the definitive list of undercover movies.
Undercover Movies Point Break
By  · Published on August 22nd, 2018

There are many reasons why people go incognito and pretend to be someone they’re not. Sometimes it’s for the greater good, like bringing down criminal empires or bringing funky music to religious types. Other times the purpose is more nefarious, like when White Chicks sought to torture movie-goers like me who were dumb enough to buy the DVD and watch it. For me, though, the best undercover stories are the ones where the players involved walk the line between good and evil, forced to compromise their values along the way, always at risk of being drawn towards the dark side.

This list features all sorts of movies, though. Movies that you can watch with your friends and families, as well as movies that are best watched in secret when no one is around. The beauty of going undercover is that there’s plenty of reasons for doing it and cinema has responded accordingly throughout the years with a diverse range of stories, spread across an array of genres.

There are similarities between most of these movies, but there’s still something for all kinds of film fan — from hard crime thrillers to gender-swapped comedies. Apart from the ones who just don’t like movies about liars anyway. If that’s the case then I recommend you go read a list that promotes something admirable and truthful. I recommend Valerie’s Celebration of LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows with Happy Endings if that’s the case.


45. 2 Fast 2 Furious

Fast Furious Paul Walker Tyrese Gibson

While this will never be regarded as the franchise’s frontrunner, the film is still a lot of fun thanks to the charming chemistry between Paul Walker and a hungry Tyrese Gibson. Here, the loveable pair of rogues are recruited by the cops to infiltrate a Miami drug kingpin, win his trust, and take him down. Throw some fast cars and Chingy songs into the mix and you have all the right ingredients for an early 2000’s recipe for success.


44. In Too Deep

In Too Deep

The 90’s was somewhat of a golden age for gritty crime dramas starring rappers in prominent roles. Most of them showed that there was more to these artists than spitting rhymes as well. This one is particularly good, and features LL Cool J as a violent crime lord giving a performance that goes harder than “Mama Said Knock You Out.” In Too Deep is conventional and by-the-book in many ways as far as crime-thrillers go, but its lack of originality is made up for by strong performances and gritty urban flavor.


43. Deep Cover

Deep Cover

Just how far would you be willing to go to get the job done? That’s the question cop Russell Stevens (Laurence Fishburne) must ask himself as he ascends the L.A. drug underworld to reach its king (Jeff Goldblum). Naturally, this results in our guy doing some pretty bad things and losing sense of his cop values, which makes for one hell of a movie experience.


42. Betrayed

Betrayed

An FBI agent is sent undercover to America’s heartland to investigate the murder of a talk show host at the hands of some white supremacists. Upon arrival, she ends up falling in love with one of the suspected killers and the family life he can offer her. Talk about a problematic dilemma. That said, by focusing on the everyday lives of these people, as well as their hateful worldview, Betrayed makes for quite a thought-provoking examination of racism.


41. Stone

Stone

I previously discussed the awesomeness of this movie in our Ozploitation list. But any opportunity I get to talk about this gem, you know I will. The movie follows a cop who joins a biker gang in order to track down the killer who’s been offing its members. What ensues is lots of partying, violence, and badass types riding motorcycles. However, like Easy Rider and The Wild Angels before it, Stone offers a glimpse into a counter-culture that rode the highways.

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Kieran is a Contributor to the website you're currently reading. He also loves the movie Varsity Blues.