Black Bag (2025)

By: Mike Ward on Thursday, March 13

R Running Time: 93 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • A witty, twisty spy caper and a love story? Under Steven Soderbergh’s steady hand, Black Bag makes anything seem possible.

  • The first great ensemble of the year, led by Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, Black Bag is wickedly entertaining and elevated tremendously by its talented cast.

  • It’s quick, efficient, compelling and made with such ease, you cannot help but get swept away by the charm and wonder Black Bag creates for its audience.

NO

  • Dense with dialogue, I think it is fair to say you have to stay focused and pay close attention to fully grasp everything Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp are creating here.

  • There are those who have pushed back on this, calling it smug and cold to the touch.

  • Had me guessing to the very end, but I imagine if you figure this out early on, Black Bag will not be nearly as engrossing as most are finding it to be.


OUR REVIEW

Whether you like his movies or not, one cannot deny that Steven Soderbergh makes the task of directing movies look really easy. He crafts confident, thoughtful, and frequently bold character studies that seem to be as curious about the characters as we are. Not every Soderbergh film is a success of course, but in his second release of 2025, he seamlessly pivots from January’s experimental haunted house flick Presence, to a London-based spy film with the dense and dazzling Black Bag.

Where Presence places us as something of an intruder (slight spoiler for those who have not seen it), we feel like both investigator and eavesdropper in the machinations that unfold over these brisk 90 or so minutes. Black Bag is nifty and nimble, a mystery that relies on a lot of dialogue and pivots off of a handful of tremendous dramatic scenes to immerse into a world of cat-and-mouse and more than a few surprising twists and turns.

Soderbergh has found something of a creative partner in screenwriter David Koepp, and Black Bag follows 2023’s Kimi and this year’s Presence as a makeshift trilogy of collaboration. The three films could not be more different, but Black Bag proves that, in this instance, the third time is indeed the charm. Even if Koepp’s conversation-heavy screenplay requires a viewer’s utmost attention, Soderbergh supports that reality by concocting a delectable cinematic treat. 

From its opening yellow-tinged, three-plus minute tracking shot to a dinner sequence that becomes more and more uncomfortable the longer it goes, the director is again working as cinematographer and editor (under his pseudonym of Mary Ann Bernard). Clearly having a lot of fun, Soderbergh is the chief manipulator of a story full of dishonesty, secretive dalliances, a little bit of truth serum, a curious movie ticket, and a prolonged series of polygraph tests.

Michael Fassbender, as tightly wound as ever with a monotone delivery, stars as George Woodhouse, a black glasses-wearing grump of a man who undoubtedly loves his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). Though they do indeed show affection to one another, they also keep their work (mostly) separate. When someone asks a question that cannot be answered, “black bag” becomes the code word they use, instead of saying “classified,” for example. And let’s just say Kathryn tends to use it a bit more than her husband does. 

Prior to a dinner party and an allegation of treason, an informant shares with George that his wife cannot be ruled out as a suspect. So naturally George hosts a get-together designed to elicit some clues. As the meal is consumed and wine is poured, we also meet a therapist connected to everyone named Zoe (Naomie Harris), investigator James (Regé-Jean Page), drunken spy Freddie (Tom Burke), and a young computer expert, Freddie’s girlfriend Clarissa, played by Marisa Abela. 

By the time dinner is complete, the dynamics of this group have completely shifted and part of the delight of Black Bag is how nothing ever feels settled. For as stoic and unshakable as George happens to be, everything seems to become agitated around him. He is our steady guiding hand through this world, and it is great fun trying to determine where loyalties lie and who can or cannot be trusted.

You can almost imagine Koepp smiling ear-to-ear as Soderbergh pieces all of his ideas together. Plus, the cast is fantastic, riffing back-and-forth, radiating sexually-charged tension, and chewing whatever scenery Soderbergh serves up for them to sink their teeth into. 

Though you run the risk of falling behind with all the plot thrown at you, Black Bag is a little bit nasty and a whole lot of fun. I had a ball with it. The actors appear to be enjoying every moment. Pierce Brosnan even shows up with a nasty demeanor and wicked attitude. 

At times, this feels like Koepp and Soderbergh’s tribute to the books John Le Carré would write - pulpy, complex thrillers with an unpredictable temper, dry wit, and an often caustic tone. With that playbook, Soderbergh feels loose and carefree behind the camera, playing with angles and lighting, saturating his characters in golds and grays.

For some, this may feel like a light romp, especially coming from the man behind such films as Traffic, Erin Brockovich, and sex, lies, and videotape. Soderbergh’s enthusiasm with this material simply shows, and the movie is even at times quite charming. And while probably unlikely, I would love to have a chance to revisit this world and experience these characters again someday.  

CAST & CREW

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan, Gustaf Skarsgård

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Written by: David Koepp
Release Date: March 14, 2025
Focus Features