It's only February and Steven Soderbergh's second movie of the year - Presence being the first, which I highly recommend - releases in just two weeks. The first reactions have dropped (below), and it sounds like this one delivers as well. Really looking forward to it, as it feels like the kind of old school, adult spy thriller we don't often see in theaters anymore...

Black Bag
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30988739/
March 14, 2025
Theatrical Exclusive

Black Bag is peak Soderbergh. It is tense, stylish, and utterly gripping. Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are a powerhouse duo in this riveting thriller. The unfolding twists keep you on the edge of your seat, making for a masterclass in suspense. Spy thrillers don’t get… pic.twitter.com/f5nifXhcp6

— Sean Tajipour (@Seantaj) February 26, 2025

#BlackBag is another Steven Soderbergh gem (his second of the year, after #Presence) - a tense, taut, crackling spy movie whose note-perfect script by David Koepp is equal parts "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Mission: Impossible." One of his very best. pic.twitter.com/2AnlvH3NaV

— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) February 26, 2025

BLACK BAG finds Steven Soderbergh diving into his reliable bag of tricks to deliver a slick, tightly edited, and sexy spy drama about a couple whose bond is tested in a world rife with secrets and scarce loyalty. While there might not be much traditional action, David Koepp’s… pic.twitter.com/DnVyR9ebFs

— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) February 26, 2025

BLACK BAG embargo lifted so let me just say, and thank god for this, it rocks. 90 minute domestic drama about relationships disguised as an awesome, sleek spy movie where Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett are both incredibly hot and well dressed. Soderbergh rules

— evan romano (@EvanRomano) February 26, 2025

#Blackbag is a great watch - catches you in a tangled web of secrets and deception, twists and shocking reveals. Best of all, it didn’t rely on heavy action to make it thrilling. Fassbender and Blanchett make a great team, and that dinner party scene is the one to watch for 👀 pic.twitter.com/Doi5b514sZ

— Wendy Lee Szany (@WendyLeeSzany) February 27, 2025

To be clear, it doesn't release for two weeks. I just wanted to get it on people's radar. Unless, of course, you're attending an advance screening, in which case I'll definitely be looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

TCTTS said:

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To be clear, it doesn't release for two weeks. I just wanted to get it on people's radar. Unless, of course, you're attending an advance screening, in which case I'll definitely be looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

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Nope. Got excited. I'll have to wait like the rest of the common folk.

Well that does look interesting.

Steven Soderbergh’s ‘BLACK BAG’ debuts on Rotten Tomatoes at 96%

Read our review: https://t.co/I27ZGAomLu pic.twitter.com/bm51P6zn9I

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 7, 2025

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/black_bag

First movie I have seen in a theater in ~9 months.

Was extremly good from the opening, single take scene to the closing credits.

TCTTS said:

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Yeah, this is fantastic.

Basically a slick, cheeky, British Mr. & Mrs. Smith with hints of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and… Clue?

Just really clever, twisted, and fun.

Easily the best movie of the year so far, and the best Soderbergh in I don't know how long.

Granted, there's virtually no action, which you won't miss, though, as it's way more mind games and subterfuge.

It's also only 93 minutes and currently sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Basically, this is exactly the kind of original, adult drama everyone's always complaining about not being in theaters anymore.

Well, here it is.

Go see it.

You won't regret it.

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Saw this yesterday. I thought it was good but so many twists and psychological thriller stuff that I wouldn't see it again. That's my criteria for how good a movie is. If I want to see it again, it's great.

Personally, I would argue that the "twists and psychological thriller stuff" are what made it great, and why I'd watch it again in a heartbeat, but to each their own.

That was an insanely cool movie. I went in knowing very little about it but with the pairing of Cate Blanchett and Fassbender, I figured it would be great. So well edited, packed a lot into 93 minutes, and developed the characters cleverly. Worth repeat viewings, for sure. I wish it didn't feel like such a rare treat to get a movie like that!

ETA
-Also had a great score
-Master class in that a movie doesn't need a bunch of fights and car chases to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Numerous scenes were relatively "calm" as far as the action on screen but had me holding my breath.
-the remote viewing sat scene was just so cool. AI lip reading. Makes you wonder what all the intelligence agencies can do with that tech these days

My favorite of this year so far by a ton. This was great. Just fun. Excellent performances by all involved. I was actually shocked by how much I loved this.

Music was very Soderbergh and I thought really added to the feel of the movie perfectly.

I didn't read your review until after I posted, but this is a pretty much perfect analysis for me as well. To me, it's unique films like this that we are missing.

... little to no CGI.

Thank you... thank you!

Hela vs. Magneto vs. James Bond/Dr. Fate vs. Moneypenny

I saw this over the weekend. It was good. Have become a Soderbergh fan.

Also really enjoyed it for all the same reasons already stated. Always love a taut Soderbergh joint... Plus it has Yasmin from Industry playing Yasmin from Industry, and I am a big, big fan of Yasmin from Industry.


Really looking forward to watching it again at home with subtitles to catch everything the second go round

Enjoyed. I like a spy flick where they do spy stuff. Low-tech but smart is the way to go, like the dinner party or leaving the note with the coffee sugar.

Re: "Fastbender's cooking skills"

The little part where when cooking some sauce/gravy splashed on his cuff.

Kept thinking what the heck was that going to lead to.

Good stuff.

Went and saw this on a whim from the general consensus in here tonight. Really cool flick! Smart, humorous, not too long. That Fassbender can sure rock a suit.

Actress that played Clarissa, oh mama! Sphcinter clenching indeed!

Side note: Anyone else finding themselves blinking during some of those night shots? Felt my astigmatism setting in from those halos around the lighting. Is that a Soderbergh thing?

In preparation of seeing Black Bag, I watched Haywire last night. How do the two compare?

i dont think you understand there are beautiful things going on over on kevin bacon’s tiktok right now pic.twitter.com/jjSNsGjGcX

— wengel (@wengelll) March 23, 2025

Steven Soderbergh’s ‘BLACK BAG’ is now streaming on Peacock.

See which other movies just got added to Peacock: https://t.co/mDLHxOapbr pic.twitter.com/tFs1jqmKb9

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 2, 2025

One question on this one after watching…Cate B had seen the movie previously, correct? She didn't flinch at the jump scare when MF wasn't watching her; only when she felt him watching her did she fake jump/act surprised. End of the flick, MF accused RJP of planting the movie ticket in the trash, and I feel like Cate still insinuated she didn't lie to MF and truly never saw it…. Just made me question if she had a part to play in everything after all and she got to pin the blame on somebody else and keep the $, all while keeping Fassbender in the dark.

Also, I'm convinced the bearded sleaze ball spy is a successful British cloning experiment of Stacy Keach…

Finally got around to watching this. I thought it was a good movie. Good performances, although my wife commented that Cate Blanchette looked "weird", not sure what she was getting at with that comment. It was a spy thriller without the gadgets or action, but with a good plot and a lot of scenes that just oozed with depth of thought.