Black Bag Movie Review (2025)
Boy, do I wish I could say, “black bag” when I don’t want to answer questions or relay information. “Would you rather have cheese or cake?” “Black bag.”
Films about undercover operations can be a lot of fun. Seeing (what we perceive to be) what happens behind closed doors in the inner-workings of secret spy programs, you are engaged just because you subconsciously want to be in on some of the secrets. It’s enticing.
Black Bag is a film about a program full of intelligence officers that work on top-secret projects. George is on a team that works with highly classified material, but has been informed that there is a leak in the system and that it is his job to root it out. Oh, and one of the suspects is George’s wife. After sorting through the multiple agents, George uncovers some additional issues and gets to the bottom of the case.
In concept, this movie was really interesting. It’s a mystery with lots of people who lie for a living and can easily answer with, “black bag,” if they don’t want to divulge any information. The “black bag” implies that the information is a secret and has to stay in the bag.
The movie tone is very much like Ocean’s Eleven (also directed by Steven Soderbergh, but you’d recognize it even without knowing that), but without the humor and wisecracks. I missed that a bit (although there were a few amusing moments) and felt like the first hour dragged.
You’re given a lot of information and expect it all to come together, but when it begins to, you’re pretty confident that you are not as smart as George because… wait, what was the secret project again and who were those guys that died?
The last half hour was very enjoyable, though, as everything began to ramp up to a reveal. And in the end, it reminded me of Clue (minus the wackiness), as George begins to describe what he witnessed, learned, and how he came to the conclusion of who the leak was. In my opinion, this was the best part of the film – next to one other –
The first few minutes of the movie are one continuous shot of George walking through a nightclub and down some stairs. Not only are you immediately told that “you are George” in this movie, but it’s a great entry into a film.
I do wish that there was more of a sense of anxiety or tension in the score, as I think this might have added to the viewer experience, but I suspect that since “you are George,” George doesn’t experience that, so you don’t either.
Cate Blanchett (who looks lovely with her long brown hair, a look I’ve never seen on her before) and Michael Fassbender are always enjoyable to watch on film and the supporting cast was great. This is a solid and well-shot movie that gets a little murky with details, but maybe that’s because I’m just not as smart as they are.
Runtime: 93 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, it’s entertaining
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.25/5 Stars
Available: Currently in theaters
