2025’s Black Bag: Uncovering Secrets in a Spy Drama

Black Bag – 2025

Director Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay David Koepp
Starring Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan, Gustaf Skarsgård

Black Bag is a spy thriller taking place in modern day Britain. The opening shots show George Woodhouse (Fassbender) meeting his MI-6 boss Meecham (Skarsgård) in a nightclub. He is informed that there is a leak of Severus, the top-secret software program. He has one week to determine the leaker. He’s given five suspects, all part of his unit and one in particular is Katheryn (Blanchett), George’s wife. What Severus does is immaterial, of course. We’re never going to see it in action. The film revolves around George finding out who sold out their country. He must stop them before the deadline.

The story throws takes place between two dinners at George and Katheryn’s home involving all of the suspects. Psychological games allow the painfully honest George access to the rest of the invitees. At first, much shade is thrown on Freddie (Burke). It is revealed that he is cheating on his girlfriend, Clarrisa (Abela). However, we’re not privy to with whom. After a shocking moment during the first dinner, George sees something unexpected. He finds a movie ticket stub in the garbage can in his and Katheryn’s bedroom. He asks her if she wants to go see that movie. She says yes. However, she has to work it around a business trip. Where to, he asks. Black Bag, she responds.

Black Bag is code for top secret. We are supposed to think that Katheryn is a cheater, and the leak. After this, many turns push the suspicion to each of the other suspects. Then at the last dinner, everything is revealed. The main culprit is somewhat obvious before that dinner. This has more to do with the lack of shade thrown their way than anything.

Soderbergh and Koepp are both experienced hands at what they do by now. They know which buttons to push with this extremely talented cast. The two leads are fantastic. Fassbender tends to play the same button down character since his turns as David and Walter in the Alien prequels. By now, he’s pretty good at playing the brooding but dangerous type. Blanchett has more fun as the way more dangerous Katheryn. She knows the score but doesn’t need to show her hand.

The rest of the cast are leads playing supporting cast. This emphasizes the immense talent Soderbergh has at his disposal. Not since the Ocean’s films has he had so much talent in one film.

The challenge to making a thriller is balancing the viewer between exposition and stakes. Black Bag leans a touch heavy in the exposition. However, the stakes are high enough to bring one along until the end. The cinematography is great and Koepp’s screenplay keeps the cast from going through the motions.

(***1/2 out of *****)