Black Bag – The BRWC Review

16th March 2025

Black Bag – The BRWC Review. By Daniel Rester.

Director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp previously teamed for Kimi (2022) and the recent Presence (2025). They’re back together again for Black Bag, a much larger project than those previous two films. While Kimi and Presence cost under $6 million to make combined, Black Bag is a star-led spy thriller with a budget of $50 million. It’s proof that after 36 years in the business, Soderbergh is still able to navigate through different genres and budget levels while making it look effortless.

Black Bag features Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as George and Kathryn, a married couple who work for the same British intelligence agency as spies. In order to keep their marriage working, they must use the phrase “black bag” whenever they can’t discuss aspects of their assignments with one another. George is informed that a dangerous software called Severus may have been leaked, and that he is to investigate five co-workers who are suspects. One of them is Kathryn.

The other suspects are Clarissa (Marisa Abela), Freddie (Tom Burke), Zoe (Naomie Harris), and James (Regé-Jean Page). Clarissa and Freddie are together, while Zoe and James are also a couple. The four of them and George and Kathryn all work under department head Arthur Steiglitz (Pierce Brosnan). These seven characters test each other’s skill sets and lies as George tries to pinpoint who the culprit is.

Soderbergh’s latest plays like a workplace drama with elements of Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). The director keeps things brisk and efficient as he navigates Koepp’s tight and dialogue-driven screenplay (which occasionally gets tangled in the details and reveals). While Black Bag is a spy thriller, it contains very minimal action, instead relying on character relationships and tense situations during its compact 93 minutes.

Fassbender and Blanchett could play ice cold killers in their sleep. The two don’t just show up for paychecks here though. They bring subtle menace and charm to George and Kathryn and make them a believable couple. Though these characters take their work seriously, their marriage has strength and love running through it that the two would die for. They may be cold spies to others, but at home they are a loyal team.

The rest of the cast is fun too. Abela has perhaps the showiest role as Clarissa. She’s a sexy, clever, and slightly unstable character. Abela helps bring spark to a handful of scenes that could have been too dry otherwise.

Soderbergh, who also shot and edited the film, makes Black Bag polished without ever being overstylish. The film opens with a long and smooth tracking shot that is unbroken, but Soderbergh also knows when to cut with precision in other scenes. Those include a suspenseful dinner scene that occurs early on and a sequence involving multiple people facing a lie detector test.

Most of the scenes contain a warm and soft orange glow to them through the lighting, but the scenes in Zoe’s office are harshly bright with natural white light. Those scenes also tend to drag on as Zoe, a therapist, works with her patients. While most of Black Bag is well-crafted, Soderbergh should have taken another look at those particular sections.

Black Bag is a smart spy thriller that plays like a suspense novella for adults. It isn’t for those looking for razzle-dazzle action and wild gadgets. Soderbergh, Koepp, and a terrific cast deliver a grounded take on the genre that’s an entertaining addition to the recent Soderbergh-Koepp collaborations.

Rating: 8/10

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