In the era of superhero films, it can be difficult to find dialogue-heavy movies that actually move the needle. Luckily, the director of the Ocean’s film franchise, and the writer of the first Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible film have teamed up with Michael Fassbender to deliver one of the first awards contenders of 2025. Yes, Black Bag is that good.
The movie follows a group of people who serve various roles within a British intelligence agency. The catch is that there’s a traitor in their midst, and it’s up to George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) to figure out who’s betraying them. Adding another layer of intrigue is the fact that there are three couples involved, George and Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett), Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke) and Clarissa Dubose (Marisa Abela), plus James Stokes (Regé-Jean Page) and Zoe Vaughan (Naomi Harris). Pierce Brosnan as Arthur Stieglitz, the boss of the agency, is icing on the cake.
This is a proper spy thriller, but the added layer of relationship drama, plus an extremely sharp script, and just enough humor to lighten the mood, makes for a wonderfully engaging piece of cinema. The film also doesn’t take its time getting to the point. At a brisk 90-minute runtime, you won’t be bored, or even think about checking your watch.
There isn’t much action involved in Black Bag, but the script is so engaging most audiences won’t even notice. As the film progresses, the tension between the characters rises to a fever pitch. Audiences will be taking sides, while on the edge of their seats wondering who’s the traitor, and who’s going to make it out alive.
While the entire cast is spectacular, Fassbender and Blanchett are the standouts. Honorable mentions go to Harris and Brosnan, with Abela essentially playing an alternate universe version of her Industry character. The many fans of the show should have no problems with that kind of standout performance, but it would’ve been nice to see a bit more nuance from her character. Industry is great, but it’s almost as if David Koepp watched a few seasons of it, then just copy and pasted her character into Black Bag. Again, not the worst idea, but not particularly original.
It’s rare to see an Oscar contender so early in the year, and it’s a longshot to even think Black Bag could actually get some awards attention, but it certainly deserves it. The film won’t generate the same level of buzz as Everything Everywhere All At Once did three years ago, so it will almost certainly go unnoticed when it’s time to start casting votes, but this is certainly one of the first must-see films of 2025.
There’s a lot of competition at the box office this weekend, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a film better than Black Bag. Novocaine is fun, and Looney Tunes are always a good time, but Black Bag should be your first choice at the theater this weekend. Don’t wait for it to hit Peacock, go see it at your local cinema.
About Black Bag
Synopsis: When intelligence agent Kathryn St. Jean is suspected of committing treason, her husband, intelligence agent George Woodhouse, is assigned to investigate her. He faces the ultimate test – faithfulness to his marriage or loyalty to his country.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: David Koepp
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan
Rated: R
Runtime: 93 Minutes
Bryan Dawson has been writing professionally since the age of 13. He started his career as a video game writer and has since worked for Random House, Prima Games, DirecTV, IGN, AOL, the British Government, and various other organizations. For GNN, Bryan taps into his passion for movies.
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
