Black Bag ★★★★

Released: 14 March 2025

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Naomie Harris

Following on from their 2025 psychological horror Presence starring Lucy Liu, director Steven Soderbergh and writer David Koepp reunite for spy thriller Black Bag. Starring an ensemble cast, the film sees British intelligence agent George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) discover there is someone within the security agency that is suspected of treason – with his wife Kathryn St Jean (Cate Blanchett) among the suspects. When tasked with uncovering who is the culprit, George finds his loyalties conflicted between his marriage and country.

From the opening tracking shot that follows George in and out of a nightclub, it sets the tone that resonates with some of Soderbergh’s best work in Out of Sight and Ocean’s Eleven. Dimly-lit sequences, a suave, incredibly cool protagonist in the centre and an ulterior motive all point to the classic British spy thriller. But Black Bag is a far cry away from James Bond – think George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File amid a high-tech world of surveillance (and diversity) and you’re halfway there.

With these elements at play, Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp pay homage to the psychological intrigue of the genre. Both creatives are well versed with this type of film, with works such as Haywire and Mission: Impossible among their collective filmography. Therefore, having them collaborate once more feels like the perfect partnership to raise the stakes on what is – on paper – a quintessential spy thriller.

Let’s face it – spies are experts in lying. Whether it is to protect their country, their loved ones or even themselves, they have the best poker faces in cinema, and Black Bag capitalises on this by pitting not one but six mysterious characters against each other. The film uses an elaborate dinner party to introduce the suspects, which includes agents James Brooks (Regé-Jean Page), erratic Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke), analyst Clarissa Debose (Marisa Abela) and psychologist Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris). It may have a ‘whodunit’ setup, but these characters are more than suspects – they are three couples among colleagues who also happen to be spies. When secrets are revealed through a twisted game of resolutions, Koepp quickly weaponises emotional attachment as a dangerous bargaining chip, especially as George tries to discover the suspect via cold threats and hard truths.

The film’s simple yet grounded intrigue is amped up by its stellar cast, who oozes sex appeal and an irresistible sense of cool. Fassbender and Blanchett exude a seductive chemistry while looking effortlessly glamorous. Yet, they subtly restrain their performances from being too open with the shared understanding that their characters are agents first, partners second – an instilled sentiment to retain the doubt within the narrative. Burke shines as the most volatile of the group, while Harris and Page offer the perfect foil for Blanchett and Fassbender through their calm delivery and understated confidence. But Back to Black star Abela deserves significant praise for her performance as Clarissa, whose intelligence and perversity proves that a book shouldn’t be judged by its cover.

Black Bag feels like Soderbergh returning to what he does best and within his comfort zone, as his sleek and refined direction allows his cast to shine. He also allows Koepp’s tight screenplay to build tension and wit among the characters while setting up a series of red herrings to keep audiences guessing. The odd twist and turn may feel like one too many, but when everyone is playing off each other, isn’t that what audiences want from a thriller?

Overall, Black Bag is a polished, elegant and sexy feature that sees Soderbergh at his best in years. Along with stellar performances, Koepp’s sharp screenplay and a 94-minute runtime, this is what a modern spy thriller should be.