Black Bag: I'd Call it More of a Mixed Bag

Black Bag occupies an interesting place for me. I didn't love the film or hate it. I'm unsure of what takeaways to have (perhaps that's the point of a spy thriller). Let's see if I can come to a decision on Black Bag.

I'll start with what was good about Black Bag. The movie features a very capable group of actors leading the charge. Everyone is believable in their roles and you're curious to learn more about the characters and what motivates them. Black Bag has a hazy look and moody feel which both lend well to the tension and paranoia of an espionage story. The film keeps your attention and you want to unravel the mystery at the core of the narrative. I do have my qualms with certain creative decisions in Black Bag though. 

It was an intentional decision to not have sex or nudity in the film, but what replaces it is a lot of dialogue about sex and infidelity that I found distracting. This didn't add much if any to the characters or the story in my opinion. I didn't understand why George (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) being married were despised by the other characters. Are there hints? Yes, but I believe this either could've been left out or fleshed out more. Not in between. All the characters aren't likable either. I said earlier that you're intrigued by what happens to the characters. However, as an audience member, you're left with not knowing how to feel about the end results. You're also unsure on who to root for. 

As the title of my review suggests, Black Bag amounts to a mixed bag. I'd be curious what you, dear reader, think of the movie if you check it out. Speaking of you, dear reader, this transitions wonderfully into some updates for my blog. 

In addition to adding some new aspects to the reviews (I'll get to that shortly), I want to hear from you. I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of the films I review or even what some of your favorite films this year are. Feel free to share in the comments on the blog or over on my Instagram account (@huntsfilmreviews). I mentioned in my review for Novocaine how it's been a tough year for the movies so far, but I'll also include some of my top picks going forward. Some other additions to the blog starting with the post are the MPA rating, where you can find the movie, runtime and if the movie is worth seeing in theaters or waiting until it's streaming. I review films that do and do not have theatrical releases, so the last point is determinant on the type of release. Anyway, I'm going to wrap things up. I look forward to talking about the movies and am grateful that you check out my reviews.


Rating:

This is one to watch at home, don't have to see it in theaters

Black Bag    94 minutes    R    In theaters and available to rent/buy at home

My 2025 Top Movies: Novocaine, You're Cordially Invited and Black Bag

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