Black Bag – Review

London, on a Friday: George Woodhouse (Fassbender) walks through narrow turning alleyways before reaching a club entrance and then asking to meet a Mr. Meacham. As he reaches the man in a private booth near the dance floor, Philip Meacham (Skarsgård) leaves the women he is with to follow George outside. The issue at hand is serious.

There is a traitor in the house. George is given five names, including his wife Kathryn St. Jean (Blanchett), who has the clearance, motive and capability. George asks for two weeks to root out the mole, however that is cut in half as the pressure of a specialized software program Severus is at risk of espionage, which could lead to thousands of civilian deaths. As the next days play out for George, he must do a deep dive into his surrounding agents, all while questioning his wife.

The film turns to George’s attempts at looking into suspects, and setting a trap for the rat to reveal itself. The runtime is short, and the script is heavy on dialogue, so those looking for a Mission: Impossible type spy thriller entry will be disappointed, but those looking for a slow burn will have needs met.

As spies bicker, lies are told, blood is drawn and metaphorical shovels uncover buried truths. Rocks are thrown into the water, so that the ripples can be watched. As long as you have the patience for the pacing, there is an interesting story to be revealed.

The cast is strong and undoubtedly were drawn to the wordy and smart script. Soderbergh’s direction is competent as always, so check out the murky untrusting world of Black Bag, and pay attention to the subtle details.