Despite having a story that’s similar to many films in theJames Bondfranchise,Black Bagis much more grounded than any movie in the long-running spy series.Black Bag, which isdirected by Steven Soderbergh, is one of the best movies of 2025 so far, and this is largely due to the fact that it is unlike many other films that have been released in recent years. Black Bag is a spy film, but rather than focusing on high-stakes action, it is mostly comprised of fascinating character interactions.
Thecast ofBlack Bagincludes Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, and Pierce Brosnan. The latter two names automatically make people think of theJames Bondfranchise, since Harris played Moneypenny and Brosnan played 007. However,Black Baghas actually garnered better reviews than mostJames Bondmovies.Reviews forBlack Baghave been exceptional, with Screen Rant’s own Mae Abdulbaki giving it an 8 out of 10. While there are similarities betweenBlack Bagand the many missions of 007,the former is the type of movie that would never come out of theJames Bondfranchise.
Black Bag Is A Completely Different Type Of Spy Movie Than James Bond
Black Bag Is A Character-Driven Spy Movie
It is no surprise that many similarities have been drawn betweenBlack Bagand theJames Bondfranchise, since the Soderbergh-directed movie follows a group of British intelligence officers. The character dynamics inBlack Bagare so interesting because Fassbender and Blanchett play a married couple who both work for the Secret Intelligence Service. Since they have different roles in the spy agency,Fassbender’s George and Blachett’s Kathryn are forced to constantly keep secrets from each other.
Unlike a lot of spy films,Black Bagis not filled with action sequences, but rather focuses on complex character interactions.
This obviously makes their marriage difficult, but they manage. At least, they manage untilGeorge suspects Kathryn of leaking a top-secret software program called Severus, which could lead to the deaths of thousands of people. In addition to Kathryn, George also suspects several of his other colleagues of leaking Severus throughout the movie. Unlike a lot of spy films,Black Bagis not filled with action sequences, but rather focuses on complex character interactions.
For example, early into the movie, George invites many of his coworkers over for dinner so he can subtly question them about Severus. ThroughoutBlack Bag, all the characters are trying to find out key pieces of information from each other. Even though it doesn’t have any intense action scenes,Black Bagis actually far better than a lot ofJames Bondmoviessince it is a very well-written, personal story about a small group of characters. From the start to theend ofBlack Bag, viewers should be engaged and eager to find out who really leaked Severus.
Black Bag Is Better Than A Lot Of James Bond Movies, But 007’s Franchise Can’t Do This
James Bond Is An Action-Packed Franchise
Even thoughBlack Bagproves that an extremely personal spy film with practically no action can work very well, a movie like it will never be seen in theJames Bondfranchise. Characters like Harris' Dr. Zoe Vaughan and Brosnan’s Arthur Stieglitz fit intoBlack Bag’sstory perfectly because of the actors' previous experiences in theJames Bondfranchise. These two specific actors, along with all the other actors inBlack Bag, can make personal conversations just as thrilling as high-stakes action sequences. However, there is no chance aJames Bondfilm will ever be as personal asBlack Bag.
James Bondfans would never want an entry that is told on a smaller scale, likeBlack Bagis. Since its inception in 1962,theJames Bondfranchise has become far too big and too action-oriented to turn back now. Now that Amazon has creative control of theJames Bondfranchise, they will likely only want to produce bigger films, rather than tell more personal stories. Therefore, even thoughBlack Bagis a great spy film, there is no chance anything like it will ever come out ofJames Bond, which is the most popular spy franchise in the world.
