Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh has been a defining voice in cinema for the past five decades. From his Palme d’Or-winning debut, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, to his genre-bending explorations, he has consistently delivered exhilarating films. Eleven years after his debut, Soderbergh claimed his first Best Director Oscar for Traffic and has never shied away from pushing cinematic boundaries.
Not only has he crafted some of the greatest heist films (Out of Sight, Ocean’s 11), but he’s also responsible for one of the finest biopics I’ve ever seen, Che. Given his track record, Black Bag instantly became one of my most anticipated films. A Soderbergh-directed spy drama starring Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender? How could anyone not be hyped?
And Black Bag delivers—this is Soderbergh at his peak. A sleek, tightly wound 90-minute spy thriller, brimming with tension and irresistibly stylish filmmaking. Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender’s chemistry is intoxicating as they bounce off David Koepp’s crackerjack dialogue with effortless precision. The result? A masterclass in suspense and slick storytelling.
The film follows George and Kathryn Woodhouse, a married intelligence duo whose relationship is tested when Kathryn is labeled a prime suspect and a national security threat. As suspicion looms, George takes matters into his own hands, determined to uncover the truth behind the accusations.
David Koepp’s screenplay is the secret weapon here. It intricately weaves themes of trust, deception, and the complexities of relationships—especially when both partners share a profession built on secrecy and manipulation. But Koepp doesn’t stop at just one couple. He expands his exploration of trust across two additional pairs, each offering a different perspective on the fragile balance between personal and professional loyalties. The result is not only gripping but easily some of Koepp’s best work in years.
Unsurprisingly, both Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender deliver top-tier performances, but that doesn’t make their work here any less impressive. The two strike a perfect balance—playful and affectionate in private, yet ice-cold and calculating in their professional roles. Watching two masters of their craft go toe-to-toe is a cinematic gift I’ll never take for granted.
Supporting them is an outstanding ensemble: Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, and Regé-Jean Page. While their characters may not be as deeply developed as the leads, Koepp’s script gives them enough material to create moments of brilliance. Abela, in particular, stands out—not just as the film’s comedic relief but as a key player in one of its tensest sequences, the polygraph test, where her wit and charm elevate the scene to another level.
While Black Bag does incorporate familiar spy thriller tropes—complete with the world-altering threats we’ve come to expect—the film never loses sight of its true focus: the human experience. At its core, this is a story about relationships, trust, and the lengths people will go to not just protect their careers but the bonds they’ve built.
With Black Bag, Steven Soderbergh once again cements his place among the greats. Not since 2017’s Logan Lucky have I been this riveted and giddy about a Soderbergh film. And while I spent the last few weeks wondering where the great films of 2025 were hiding, this week gave me not just one but two standouts. First Mickey 17 from Bong Joon-ho, and now Black Bag from Soderbergh.
