Steven Soderbergh is a director who is always keeping busy, having directed at least one film a year for the past ten years. TheLogan Luckydirector haunted audiences earlier this year with his filmPresence, showcasing his mastery of various genres. Now, Soderbergh is shifting gears again, this time with the spy thriller filmBlack Bag. The movie centers on Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett) and George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), a wife and husband with ties to a national intelligence agency. When an unexpected betrayal forces Woodhouse to track down his own wife, he has to decide whether his loyalties lie with his country or with his wife.
Black Bagis set to release this weekend, and the reviews have already come pouring in for the film. Given the caliber of filmmaker that Soderbergh is, it should come to the surprise of no one that his newest movie currently has a 93% rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. With 59 reviews submitted, it’s becoming clear thatBlack Bagis a finely crafted thriller that deserves the audience’s attention among the many other films being released this weekend, such asNovocaineor the big Netflix streamer releaseThe Electric State.
Steven Soderbergh Made a Prescient Economic Masterpiece with an Adult Film Star
Steven Soderbergh’s 2009 film featured a leading role by an adult film star, but is far deeper than it seems on the surface.
Soderbergh has also had plenty of experience delivering complex narratives with stunning payoffs in their climax, most notably with the twoOcean’smovies along withLogan Lucky.While these films were primarily centered on robberies,Black Bag’sspy-centric narrative will undoubtedly share several similar elements with his heist stories, especially with regard to unexpected twists.
‘Black Bag’ Is an Impressive Ensemble of Talent In Front of and Behind the Camera
MovieWeb’s own reviewcallsBlack Bag"a crisp spy thriller and whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very end," reinforcing that what Steven Soderbergh does best is a story with plenty of intrigue. Looper’s review called the movie “a sharp, sexy, and intoxicating drama,” which is also unsurprising considering that Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender play the lead characters in the film. Both actors are high-caliber performers, makingBlack Bageven more of an essential viewing.
The film is also written by David Koepp, a screenwriter that moviegoers may want to keep an eye on due to his previous and upcoming projects. Having also previously writtenPresencefor Soderbergh, Koepp is known for having collaborated with iconic filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, having co-written the originalJurassic Parkalong with the upcomingJurassic World: Rebirth.Black Bagshould showcase the writer’s skill at character work and story to get viewers excited for other blockbusters he’s written that will be released in the near future, such asSpielberg’s next film, due for release in 2026.
Overall,Black Bag’simpressive Rotten Tomatoes rating is indicative of the massive talent both behind and in front of the camera. With Soderbergh’s commitment to the craft, Koepp’s tried and true screenwriting, and talent as monumental as Fassbender and Blanchett, the spy thriller was very much built to succeed. Movie fans will only have to wait until this weekend to find out the secret of theBlack Bag, while Soderbergh himself is undoubtedly already looking towards whatever project is next.
Source:Rotten Tomatoes,Looper.
