Black Bag (2025) - Review in 4K Ultra HD

      **Black Bag, 2025.**

      Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

      Featuring Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan, and Gustaf Skarsgård.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      Steven Soderbergh’s newest film, *Black Bag*, is released on 4K Ultra HD, complete with a Blu-ray disc and a digital copy code. This clever and brisk spy thriller deserved better at the box office, so let’s help it gain a second life in home video. Thank you, fellow film enthusiasts!

      In a time when films are often overstretched, the film's crisp 94-minute runtime feels like a breath of fresh air. Nonetheless, the conclusion left me wishing for more. I’m not suggesting the film is incomplete simply because it’s brief; the narrative could have comfortably expanded to two hours without feeling drawn out.

      That seems to be the trend with director Steven Soderbergh: when he strikes the right chord, it’s difficult not to desire the symphony to continue. He has certainly perfected a concise storytelling style that adheres to the principle of arriving late to scenes and departing early.

      *Black Bag* features Michael Fassbender as the cold and calculating UK secret intelligence agent George Woodhouse, who is married to fellow operative Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). His superior, Philip Meacham (Gustaf Skarsgård), tasks him with uncovering the source of a leak regarding a top-secret software that could lead to a nuclear reactor meltdown; Kathryn is among the suspects.

      George organizes a dinner with Kathryn and the other potential culprits: satellite imagery expert Clarissa (Marisa Abela), fellow agent Freddie (Tom Burke, who is also Clarissa's boyfriend), managing agent James (Regé-Jean Page), and his girlfriend Zoe (Naomie Harris), who works as a psychiatrist for the agency.

      Naturally, the dinner serves as a ruse for George to identify the culprit; he drugs the food to make everyone more susceptible, with his wife's consent. While revelations come to light, none are the ones George anticipates. However, after Meacham dies that night under suspicious circumstances and Kathryn denies seeing a film for which George finds a ticket in her trash, George intensifies his investigation.

      The remainder of the story unfolds with a satisfying array of twists and turns that lead to a conclusion I didn't find surprising, though it was gratifying; Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp leave a nice thread unresolved. Unfortunately, *Black Bag* didn’t perform well at the box office, but hopefully, its home video release will solidify its reputation among the director’s better works.

      This 4K Ultra HD version showcases the film as I believe Soderbergh intended, especially since he also served as its cinematographer under the pseudonym Peter Andrews. (He also edited *Black Bag*, with the editing credited to Mary Ann Bernard; both pseudonyms honor his parents.) Additionally, a Blu-ray disc and a digital copy code are included.

      The extra features are somewhat limited, which comes as no surprise given the film’s underwhelming theatrical performance; perhaps it will gain traction on home video, leading to a more substantial edition in the future. For now, the package includes a selection of deleted scenes and a couple of brief featurettes totaling just under 16 minutes.

      The removed footage is approximately 6.5 minutes long and wouldn’t have drastically changed the film had it been included; if anything, it divulges too much information, but this is a story where the audience should remain less informed than the protagonist during his investigation.

      The featurettes feature *The Company of Talent*, a typical roundup of cast members sharing their insights about the film, and *Designing Black Bag*, where Fassbender, Brosnan, and Blanchett join costume designer Ellen Mirojnick to discuss locations and set designs.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      Brad Cook