My interview from the April 2025 issue of Sight & Sound is now available to read online.
Given his predilection for ranging across genres and styles, it can be hard to pinpoint the qualities that define ‘a Steven Soderbergh film’, but Black Bag does feel like an archetypal example of his work. Written by David Koepp, it’s a sly study of relationships among spies, as British intelligence officer George (Michael Fassbender) hunts the traitor among his colleagues from a list of five suspects that includes his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). “I don’t like liars” is George’s frequent refrain, but everyone is a liar in this film, which asks how any relationship can be built on trust in a world in which the term ‘black bag’ – ie, top secret – can be used to evade any line of questioning. A macguffin that could be cataclysmic in the wrong hands adds a sense of urgency to the narrative, but Soderbergh’s real interest lies in the interpersonal dynamics at work, and the way we deceive those closest to us. It’s very much an espionage thriller from the director of sex, lies, and videotape (1989), directed with a playfulness and focus that keeps us intrigued throughout its crisply edited 94 minutes.
In the decade since he returned to work following his short-lived ‘retirement’ in 2013, Soderbergh has directed ten features and four TV series to varying degrees of success, but apart from the continuation of the Magic Mike franchise [2012-], Black Bag feels like his boldest bid for a mainstream hit. At the time of writing, Soderbergh and Koepp’s January release Presence has taken $8.5 million at the global box office; a paltry sum, you might think, but it’s a healthy return against the $2 million production budget. Black Bag is more of a gamble because it’s the kind of film – a mid-budget, star-led entertainment aimed at adults – that has become an endangered species. “The general feeling in the business is that these are commercially risky things to do. I mean, it seems crazy to me,” Soderbergh told me when considering its prospects.
One hopes the film does prove there is still a sizeable audience for original, sophisticated and entertaining studio releases on this scale, but he’s not the kind of man to sit around fretting about things that are outside of his control. As is his wont, Soderbergh quickly busied himself with his next film, and he was mid-production on the comedy The Christophers in London when I caught up with him to discuss Black Bag.
