Open This BLACK BAG

BLACK BAG (4K UHD)

2025 / 94 min

From Universal

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Princess Pepper😸

This happens sometimes…when coincidental timing of various physical media releases results in me reviewing several movies by the same actor or director. In this case, it’s Steven Soderbergh, a director who’s always been really hit-or-miss for me. Still, I appreciate his willingness to try different technical approaches, which made recent releases of The Good German and Presence at least watchable.

However, Black Bag is more than watchable. It’s arguably his best overall film since Contagion (which Free Kittens holds in very high regard). I don’t recall the last time I had this much fun trying to keep up with the complexity of a movie’s plot and actions of its characters. Best of all, we’re rewarded with a climax where it all ends up making perfect sense.

This is another one of those films that’s best going into fairly cold, so I’ll refrain from going into too much detail about the story. But in a nutshell, Black Bag is a spy thriller centered around married British intelligence agents George and Kathryn (Michael Fassbender & Cate Blanchett). Renowned for getting the truth out of liars, George is tasked with rooting out an apparent traitor in their organization and given a list of five people to investigate, one of whom is Kathryn.

When your suavity is rudely interrupted.

The film is driven more by style, intrigue and exposition than action, yet the brisk pace, appealing aesthetic and surprise-laden narrative keeps things interesting and tension filled, not-to-mention one hell of a McGuffin that serves as its catalyst. There are even aspects of the film that are darkly funny. Tying it together are the characters, all of whom appear to have secrets - personally & professionally - that George attempts to reveal. And just when we think we’ve got one character pegged, we’re thrown another curveball.  

But Black Bag is more than just another spy movie. It’s also the story of a marriage, which carries an underlying theme of loyalty to country versus loyalty to a loved one. Perfectly played by the two leads, George and Kathryn appear coolly calculating and outwardly aloof, even towards each other. At the same time, there’s something deeply romantic about their relationship as the story unfolds. 

Running a lean 94 minutes, there isn’t a single wasted moment. Each scene is vital to the plot and calculated to keep the viewer guessing. Every character is important and performed by a great cast (including Naomi Harris, Tom Burke, Marisa Abela and Regé-Jean Page). Bolstered by David Koepp’s smart, witty script and an urgent score from David Holmes (both frequent Soderbergh collaborators), Black Bag is an excellent adult thriller and, so far, one of the best movies of the year.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - The Company of Talent features the cast discussing their characters and co-stars; Designing Black Bag covers the production design.

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4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES