- Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Pierce Brosnan, Rege Jean-Page, Marisa Abela
- March 14th 2025
- 94
- Steven Soderbergh
Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender plays intelligence agents whose marriage is tested when a mole is discovered in their organisation.
He only released Presence back in January, but director Steven Soderbergh is already back with his next feature, Black Bag.
The spy thriller stars Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as Kathryn St. Jean and George Woodhouse, married intelligent agents who work for the organisation in London.
When Kathryn is suspected of leaking information about a security device named Severus to the Russians, George has to determine if she is truly the mole, or if it is somebody else within the agency.
He does so by monitoring Kathryn and testing their colleagues, including Freddie (Tom Burke), Clarissa (Marisa Abela), Dr Zoe (Naomie Harris) and James (Rege-Jean Page).
If you’re expecting something in the vein of James Bond, you’ll be let down by Black Bag because it is a small-scale, dialogue-heavy thriller.
There are no action spectacles; it is basically a lot of talking in the office or the couple’s home to identify the rat.
The Severus aspect of the plot can be quite hard to follow and engage with, but thankfully, the software is a MacGuffin and not the main focus.
This is a film about rooting out moles and exploring if a marriage can withstand all the lies spies must tell, and that element of the plot is much more intriguing.
The second half becomes increasingly compelling as George edges closer and closer to the truth and the final act is pretty exciting.
David Koepp’s script is economical; he doesn’t bother giving the characters much depth because there are too many of them and knowing so little about them helps with the mystery.
Although they don’t have a lot to work with, Fassbender and Blanchett still shine as the characters torn between love and duty. They are elusive and evasive and it’s hard to know if they can be trusted.
Their co-stars are solid too – despite Harris’s iffy Northern accent – but the standout is Abela as the flirtatious Clarissa, who is unashamed about her crush on George. There are some light-hearted comedy moments in the film and she’s responsible for many of them.
Black Bag is a tight 90-minute spy thriller that doesn’t really get made for cinemas anymore. Kudos to Soderbergh for bringing it back!
In cinemas from Friday 14th March
By Hannah Wales
© Cover Media