Black Bag(2025)

Putting the “cool” into a big screen offering – and actually having it turn out to be cool – is often easier said than done. Attempts at accomplishing this feat in many instances turn out to be hokey, trite or mishandled, so it’s gratifying to see a filmmaker pull it off successfully. Such is the case in the latest work from director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp, an expertly structured, superbly…

Reviewed on March 15, 2025

There’s quite a bit of the John le Carré to this story of duplicity in the intelligence community. “George” (Michael Fassbender) is married to “Kathryn” (Cate Blanchett) and despite the fact that they spend much of their lives keeping secrets from one another (those are the “black bag” conversations that they can’t have) their marriage is really quite strong - much to the envy of many of their colleagues. It’s a…

Reviewed on March 19, 2025

<em>'Black Bag'</em> is a very good spy thriller! It is a slowburn sorta film and is dialogue heavy, but neither of those things are negatives as long as it delivers - which this 2025 release certainly does. The cast are terrific, most notably Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. Marisa Abela, Regé-Jean Page, Tom Burke and Naomie Harris are great in their respective parts too. The story kept me interested all the…

Reviewed on March 21, 2025

Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” isn’t your typical espionage thriller, but more of a slow-burn character study wrapped in a sleek, stylish spy drama. While it’s well-made and filled with strong performances, it’s also a bit too talky and deliberately paced to be truly gripping. If you’re expecting high-octane action or pulse-pounding twists, you won’t find them here. Instead, Soderbergh delivers a measured,…

Reviewed on April 4, 2025