Caption: Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett play the main roles in the sky-thriller movie, “Black Bag,” released in March 2025. [provided by screenrant.com]
By Alec Hayashi
“Black Bag” is a spy-thriller released in May 2025, directed by Steven Soderbergh. The movie is about a British intelligence officer, George Woodhouse. He is given a week by his boss, Meachem, to investigate a top-secret software leak code-named Severus. Woodhouse tries to find a mole within his own agency, the National Cyber Security Center and ultimately it seems that the suspects are closer to him than he would have expected.
A noticeable trait in the movie is the undeniable chemistry between Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender who play Kathryn St. Jean and George Woodhouse, respectively. Both Fassbender and Blanchett portrayed a couple very well, with them also displaying their situation of espionage in a seamless way. The two of them could very well pass for a real-life couple in today’s modern world, aside from the fact that they are both international spies.
Fassbender also brings charm and charisma to the movie, playing a spy in the modern-day period. He takes inspiration from other spy movies before him, such as the James Bond series. But he innovates the spy role by bringing more drama to the spy scene.
Parents need to be warned that this movie is Rated R (age 14 and up) due to some violence and bad language. Common Sense media (which reviews movies from a Christian parent’s perspective) states that the sexual scenes are primarily between the two actors portraying a married couple, and the scenes do not go beyond talking to each other in their bed and kissing.
The violent content in the movie is “more cerebral than savage,” meaning that it is shocking but not explicit in its visualization. Viewers can expect to see shooting, stabbing, some blood, explosions, and a vehicle on fire after being hit by a missile, with a brief view of the occupants burning inside. There are some characters in the movie who drink alcohol and there is reference to using drugs in one scene. There is cursing in the movie that includes strong language such as “f–k,” “s–t,” “pr–k,” and more.
In spite of these warnings to the viewer, the movie reviewer for Christian Review.com believes there is a positive, Christian message to be found in this movie (LINK HERE). Rather than just being a movie about spies, the story explores themes such as loyalty, integrity and truth. When watching the movie, one can ask if the main character will love his wife just as Christ loves the church (as stated in Ephesians 5:25) and if either character will learn from the well-known verse in John 8:32, “the truth will set you free.”
Personally, I think that the movie starts out slow and difficult to understand, especially because of the accents, but it finishes with a strong ending. There is more narrative and less action. I feel like this movie is paced in a good manner, but lacks comedy and transitions. I feel like I was invested about halfway through the movie. I do not think this movie is a top spy movie, but I think it is an enjoyable movie to watch.
Black Bag is a movie that I would recommend most people to watch, especially for those who love the spy genre. I recommend this movie also to those who like smart, stylish type films.
