Mini Made an Unusual Spy Spoof With Jack Lowden

In a shift, they pixelated the best car chase bits

What fun is an action-flick car chase without scenes that deliver all manner of gear-grinding J-turns, skids and drifts?

If you’re thinking that sounds like no fun at all—why yes, that’s correct.

Mini milks this notion in a very self-aware campaign. Scottish actor Jack Lowden plays a secret-agent type who doesn’t want viewers to see all the cool stunts he pulls off behind the wheel.

Each time Jack steers into action, pixelation hides the best bits and he quips: “Wow, definitively can’t show you that. Or that. Not even that. We wouldn’t want to offend anyone, would we?”

Um, nobody would feel offended. Fans can view the stunts in a series of “declassified” clips.

The concept feels like a stretch, though it does veer into unexpected territory, and Lowden’s flippant charm can’t be denied.

“I’ve always been interested in stories that invite the audience to read between the lines,” he says in press materials. “This stood out. Not just because it looked great or moved well, but because it felt authored.”

“It played with form in a way that still had pace and wit. That’s the kind of work I’m drawn to, whether it’s on stage, on screen or here—something that trusts the audience and doesn’t shout. It’s smart, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. That’s a rare balance.”

Ilya Naishuller directed in the best tongue-in-cheek faux-Bond/Bourne tradition.

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