Black Bag (2025)

IMDb plot summary: When intelligence agent Kathryn Woodhouse is suspected of betraying the nation, her husband - also a legendary agent - faces the ultimate test of whether to be loyal to his marriage, or his country.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Stars Michael Fassbender, Gustaf Skarsgård, and Cate Blanchett.

Black Bag is a Steven Soderbergh thriller/drama about a group of  couples who all happened to work together in the same intelligence agency. When there is a serious information leak inside the agency, Michael Fassbender has to figure out which of these other five were the source of the leak, including possibly his own wife, played by Cate Blanchett. Sometimes Soderbergh goes big and flashy with his visuals, but this is very restrained, and I think it works. This feels more like a well-crafted theatrical drama. Even though the scenes are structured like a film, the in-depth one-on-one discussions and dialogue are the kind of text-centric moments you typically get on stage. The supporting actors are fine in their roles, but Fassbender and Blanchett are both extremely engaging, and we care about the mystery of the leak because we want to see how this is going to play out in their relationship with each other. There are certainly some clunky moments where the film is trying to be smarter than maybe it actually is, but there was a lot to like about this, and it's fun to see a more paired down thriller that doesn't rely as much on big chase scenes or hyperactive editing. 

How it entered my Flickchart:

🎥 Black Bag (2025)

📊 Ranked #1630/4023 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 60

beat Meet John Doe (#2008 → #2012)

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