Film Review - Black Bag (2025)

Kelaru & Fulton rating: ★★★★

Runtime: 1 hrs 33 mins

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I’ve said this many times before: I love films that rely on story and performances rather than expansive locations or flashy action. The so-called 'chamber' films, where everything unfolds in a single setting like a house, apartment, a car or train, these are some of my favourites. A few standouts that come to mind: Carnage (2011, dir. Roman Polanski), Locke (2013, dir. Steven Knight), 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016, dir. Dan Trachtenberg), Mass (2021, dir. Fran Kranz), and The Hateful Eight (2015, dir. Quentin Tarantino). These films tend to be low-budget, tightly written, and rely heavily on strong direction and performances. They also give actors room to experiment and demand sharp, engaging dialogue to carry the tension.

Black Bag is exactly that kind of film.

With an Oscar-winning director at the helm, Steven Soderbergh, and a screenplay by David Koepp (Indiana Jones, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Panic Room), Black Bag is a well-crafted espionage thriller that keeps things intimate but gripping.

The story unfolds across just a couple of locations, focusing on George (Michael Fassbender, Killer, Steve Jobs) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett, Tar, The Aviator), a married couple who also happen to be MI5 operatives. When George is assigned to uncover a leak within his team, he’s given a list of five possible suspects, one of whom is his own wife.

To flush out the traitor, he invites the four suspects to an elegant dinner at his home, secretly spiking their food to loosen them up. The guests include Freddie (Tom Burke, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Only God Forgives), Clarissa (Marisa Abela, Back to Black, Industry), James (Regé-Jean Page, Roots, Bridgerton), and Dr. Zoe (Naomie Harris, Moonlight, Spectre), all highly skilled operatives with professional and personal entanglements.

George is a respected, somewhat feared figure within MI5, and together with Kathryn, they command a formidable presence. So when their colleagues sit across from them at the dinner table, tensions are high, not just because of the looming accusation, but because each of them has their own secrets to protect.

Shifting primarily between two locations (George’s house and the MI5 offices), George methodically observes his guests, waiting to see who reacts under pressure. As he says early in the film, he has dropped the rock in the lake. Now he needs to watch the ripples to find the leak.

Beyond its stellar direction and performances, Black Bag succeeds as a mystery because it plays fair with the audience. Unlike many films in the genre, where crucial clues are withheld only to be revealed in a sudden twist at the end, Black Bag allows us to follow the trail alongside George. Clues are placed throughout, leading us to suspect different characters at various points, keeping us engaged in the puzzle until the final reveal. Pay close attention and you may be able to guess the traitor before the end.

This isn’t an action-packed spy thriller, despite what the trailer might suggest. Instead, it’s a film about people whose entire profession is built on deception, manipulation, and misdirection, making them all exceptionally difficult to read.

Black Bag may not sweep awards season, but it’s a sharp, well-executed thriller that will keep you hooked for all 93 minutes. A simple but highly satisfying watch.