Deep Cover (1992)

Academy Award-nominee Laurence Fishburne stars as Russell Stevens, Jr., a maverick Cleveland cop with a turbulent past. Handpicked by the DEA to infiltrate an international cocaine cartel based in Los Angeles, Stevens goes undercover as John Q. Hull, a bold new player with seemingly little to lose. As a cop, he swore to follow orders, to uphold justice, and to observe the law; but now the rules have changed. This "ugly side" of the war on drugs explores the context of race, identity and hypocrisy within a brutal and alienating police investigation. Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, this tale also stars Academy Award-nominee Jeff Goldblum as lawyer/narcotics dealer David Jason.