Black Bag

The title of this new film from director Steven Soderbergh refers to a code used by spies who are dealing with classified intel. For example, if someone asks another where they are going, or what they have been doing, the other person will answer “black bag”. George (Michael Fassbender) is an agent working in the same organization as his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). They are the only two people here who are in a healthy marriage, and both are devoted to each other. Their co-workers frown on their relationship because they lead lives of infidelity and believe in polygamy. The result is two characters that we can easily root for.

When George is informed that his wife is on a list of five people suspected of stealing a weapon of mass destruction, he naturally does not believe it. But he slowly becomes suspicious of Kathryn when he finds a movie ticket in the trash. She promises that she would never lie to him unless it was absolutely necessary. As the plot thickens, though, he wonders if she might just be the traitor. From the start, the film is engaging and intriguing, especially as we learn more not just about the two leads, but others within the organization who might be guilty. Thanks to a smart script from David Koepp, we are kept guessing through multiple twists and turns right down to the final minutes. This is Koepp’s third collaboration with Soderbergh following 2022’s Kimi and Presence, which was released back in January.

This has been hailed by critics as “the first great movie of the year” as well as “the best spy thriller of the century”. While the former is absolutely true, the latter is also perfectly valid. Too often in this genre–such as last year’s Glen Powell vehicle Hit Man–the films are too predictable and convoluted. I am pleased to report that Black Bag is not. It is written like an Agatha Christie novel, with a group of individuals who are all suspects. The more we learn about them, the more their motives are revealed. But Soderbergh and Koepp don’t rely on action, knowing that their adult audience don’t need explosions or shootouts to punctuate the story every few minutes. In fact, I should clarify that if you come expecting an action picture, you will be disappointed. This is a drama, plain and simple, but the tension is wound like a guitar string, and it stems from these characters’ interactions.

But the movie would not succeed without the excellent performances, especially from Fassbender and Blanchett. He is absolutely mesmerizing in any role, and I found it funny when a colleague accuses him of being robotic, considering that he played an android in both of Ridley Scott’s Alien prequels, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Fassbender is one of those actors who I could watch in anything because he is always so fantastic, bringing an intensity to so many of his characters. That is taking nothing away from Blanchett, who is fascinating in her own right. In fact, she has the single best line in film (although it would be a sin to reveal what it is). The two seasoned actors have a tremendous and believable chemistry. Also, I feel like the choice to cast Pierce Brosnan as their boss was no accident, as the actor is famous for his role as James Bond. It should also be noted that there is a good amount of well-timed humor throughout.

Adults will find this to be a fantastic way to spend their time and money. This is the sort of movie that is a real crowd-pleaser, and I would say that it also makes for a great date night. As the credits rolled, my dad and I both turned to each other, grinning ear-to-ear. Black Bag works so well not just because of all of the ingredients that I have already mentioned, but because every scene has a purpose and propels the plot in some way. These days filmmakers are often too lazy to care about or even respect their audience. Usually, they are so preoccupied with pandering and virtue-signaling that they forget to make something that we actually want to watch. Thankfully, Soderbergh and Koepp have created not just a great movie, but arguably one of the best of the year. And that’s no lie.

Rated R

1 hour, 33 minutes