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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
Black Bag is director Steven Soderbergh’s second film this year and his second collaboration with writer David Koepp after Presence. Black Bag is a stylish, fun, and well-made spy thriller that follows British intelligence officer, George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), as he tries to untangle a conspiracy with his wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett), at the center of it all. As he investigates further, his marriage and his loyalty to his country are put to the test.
Black Bag also stars Marisa Abela (Industry), Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Naomie Harris (Skyfall, Spectre, No Time To Die), Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), and Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye). Musical composer David Holmes (Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy, Logan Lucky, No Sudden Move, The Apprentice) scores the soundtrack. Soderbergh also serves as the director of photography under the name Peter Andrews.
Killer Cast, Lethal Characters
What makes Black Bag work is that Soderbergh has given all these amazing actors a platform to just absolutely cook. Fassbender and Blanchett are in absolute top form here. Fassbender’s performance is silent and meticulous and echoes his work in David Fincher’s The Killer while being distinct. In fact, I’d say the two performances are very much in conversation with each other. Both main characters struggle to emote while working in high tension situations, but one manages to stay on top of things while the other does not. Still, that is beside the point.
Here, Fassbender can get so much across with his face and eyes that George almost instantly becomes a character whom viewers want to see succeed. Soderbergh also does so much visually with how he frames George and what he chooses to depict that you easily get a sense of who this character is and how he works.
Conversely, Soderbergh does a great job with keeping Blanchett’s character, Kathryn, mysterious and alluring for a majority of the runtime. Despite the fact that her husband, George, is our POV character, Kathryn feels harder to get a grasp on. Blanchett plays it all beautifully; you never quite know when she’s lying or telling the truth. It’s just riveting to watch her. She and Fassbender play off each other so well, and without that chemistry, the movie would just fail.
A Relationship Story in a Spy Film
Even with its genre trappings, which are all great, Black Bag is fueled by the relationship between George and Kathryn. That allows the movie to begin interrogating the dynamics and relationships of all the other characters and the concept in general. Each relationship in the film looks at whether or not you can truly trust and know someone. This idea is especially true when your job requires you to lie constantly. It’s fascinating to see the strain that this puts someone under. George says he’s willing to do anything for Kathryn, but is he really? And would he put her interests over the interests of the government and the country he works for? It’s a big question, and further analysis would unfortunately require divulging spoilers…
Supporting Characters
As for the other characters—none of whom are married but are in allegedly committed relationships—, we get to see how younger people and people of different professions react to the high-stakes pressure of spycraft. Abela’s Clarissa Dubose serves as perhaps the most vocal critic of it. Her performance is quite good as well. It has shades of her role on Industry but again manages to maintain its own flavor. And as her character is the youngest of the bunch in Steven Soderbergh’s film, she gets to offer a much critical perspective on the unhealthy mindset that all these older characters have taken on, despite the fact she still participates in these activities, too.
The other person most uniquely positioned to comment on Black Bag‘s dynamics is Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Harris). This character is the therapist for all the other characters in the film and a strongly devout Christian. Vaughan is also in a relationship with one of her patients, James Stokes (Page). Together, they have great chemistry, whether they fight or are sweet with each other. These two are, quite frankly, the opposite of George and Kathryn and make for great foils.
Strength Behind The Camera
Of course, all this on-screen magic works, thanks to the behind-the-scenes magic of director/cinematographer Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp. Soderbergh is easily one of the best and most interesting directors working today. While the look of the film may not be for everyone, it is indisputably stylish and has been fully thought out. It makes Black Bag feel like a real world. Moving beyond just the aesthetics of the film, Soderbergh can communicate so much visually about these characters and the world. Simple shots speak volumes about what a character is feeling or being used to enhance the intensity of a situation. Soderbergh remembers that film is a visual medium. That makes Black Bag stand out so much from many of the films released in recent memory.
And when the characters do speak, Koepp crafts a great script. The dialogue is all strong and never feels like it’s beating you over the head or trying to outsmart you. That’s not to mention it’s surprisingly funny. There are so many laugh-out-loud bits and little moments that make Black Bag feel more holistically like a true film.
Additional Thoughts on Black Bag
Black Bag is honestly just fun spy material. Fassbender hacking satellites and conducting polygraph tests with meticulous detail is just a blast. Everyone lying and trying to deceive each other to accomplish their respective goals makes for a totally engaging film where it’s hard to know who to trust. While it does have big global implications and stakes, the film remains true to focusing on the relationship between George and Kathryn. It’s all the more refreshing when every blockbuster is concerned more with the end of the world or prioritizing lore instead of characters. Yet, it still gives you everything you want out of a quieter spy thriller.
Another element that truly works is the score from David Holmes. It’s always well suited to the moment on screen, enhancing the emotion of whatever you are watching. And it’s just fun sometimes, especially when it gets a little retro and evokes the era of the 1960s.
The Verdict on Black Bag
Black Bag looks great, has an appealing script, and has an extremely talented cast. Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp have crafted the first great film of 2025, which is easily a must-watch if you like spy films or just crave something that feels as if made by an actual person and not just to fuel a content farm.
Score: 4/5
Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp’s Black Bag is now playing in theaters!
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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
