Sometimes, all you need to make an engaging movie is ninety minutes, an interesting concept and a power couple. “Black Bag” (2025), thankfully, has all three.
All about manipulation, lies, and deceit, “Black Bag” follows the married duo George (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), two high level intelligence agents attempting to protect their nation. However, after George learns Kathryn may have betrayed the very same nation, he quickly falls down a rabbit hole to uncover the truth and protect his wife.
Over the course of a week, George begins to unravel not one, but two mysteries intertwined with one another. The film is intensely sensual, honing in on a game of cat and mouse not only between the leads, but also their friends, coworkers and criminals. With Kathryn suspected of selling highly confidential information about the nation, George launches a mission to find out which of their closest friends and coworkers may be in on the scheme. As George repeatedly states, he does not like liars.
“Black Bag” manages to keep the audience engaged with the mystery for the entire runtime. In a tight ninety minutes, every scene acts as an important clue into the true puppet master. Every lie spoken comes with a small piece of the truth and another reason to go on defense. The film begs this question: Can you really trust and love someone who is a liar?
One of the highlights of the film comes from Fassbender’s George. Perhaps the main focal point of the film, George spends the runtime hunting for clues, extracting information from his coworkers and keeping a close eye on Kathryn. Fassbender’s level headed and composed approach to the situation allows the audience to easily follow the complex storylines and plot points yet does not make the film a tedious watch. Fassbender and Blanchett’s easy chemistry is also a strong point of the film; their love and attraction for one another makes for an enticing watch. Often, the audience must wonder if the two would really do anything for one another or if their devotion is built on a pile of lies.
Another highlight of the film is the easy comedic exchanges between the characters. In one particularly amusing scene, George conducts a polygraph test on his four closest coworkers, Freddie (Tom Burke), James (Regé-Jean Page), Zoe (Naomie Harris) and Clarissa (Marisa Abela). Clarissa, the youngest of the bunch who has a deep interest in “beating” a polygraph test, strives to best George at his own game. In her attempt, she banters with George about “clenching her sphincter” to regulate her physical reactions to lying. Although small, these moments of dead-pan humor not only give further insight into the minds and relationships of these complex characters but also break up large chunks of dense dialogue. Abela’s Clarissa in particular constantly brings comedic moments with a straight-face, allowing for versatility within the film without compromising on tension between the characters.
However, for a spy thriller, “Black Bag” has virtually no action. Most of the plot unravels through conversations rather than action sequences. There are perhaps two notably intense moments in the film, the rest relying on the comedic timing and star appeal of its cast. Despite, or perhaps because of, the lack of action throughout the film, the characters and the narrative have far more time to breathe. Each moment, whether emotional or cold, feels earned when the characters’ motivations and secrets slowly come to light through conversation rather than flying fists.
“Black Bag” also suffers from its sound design, both in the score and sound mixing. Unlike most films of the 21st century, the film lacks a score that deepens the narrative, despite David Holmes’ having signed on as a composer. Most of the time the sound design falls flat, the lack of scoring creating an almost empty feeling in the space of the film. Perhaps for another film this decision would add to the moment, however, the absence of the score simply takes away from the experience. Furthermore, the dialogue is often difficult to decipher. Whether it is due to the European cast, acting choices, a directorial vision or a lack of appreciation for sound operators on set, losing the ability to hear critical information in a spy drama takes momentum from the film. It may be more advantageous to find a screening that will offer closed captions if you want to catch every word.
Regardless of the pitfalls of “Black Bag,” the film is an enjoyable experience. While most spy dramas may be over the top with their action sequences, always attempting to one up themselves, “Black Bag” relies on a tight run time, a good story and chemistry between the characters. Ethics and morals come into play when the characters are faced with the question of ‘When you can lie about everything… how do you tell the truth about anything?’ Should George trust in his wife and friends, or is their endless devotion instead an act of manipulation? This simple but intriguing premise is the biggest reason to catch “Black Bag” in its theatrical run.
“Black Bag” releases in theaters on March 14.
