10 Best Movies Like Black Bag

Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag is the latest slick, stylish thriller from the acclaimed director, this time following a group of espionage agents as they attempt to uncover which of them is secretly selling information to their enemies. The film’s unique selling point, however, is that two of these central characters are husband and wife. With fierce lead performances from Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, Black Bag is a record-breaking thriller that constantly pays homage to the classic spy movies to come before it.

Soderbergh’s style of filmmaking is reliably captivating, and that’s no different in Black Bag. The way he effortlessly weaves these characters’ stories together in such personal and intimate ways, all while maintaining a narrative of global importance in the background, is nothing short of staggering. Although he manages to wrap everything together neatly in Black Bag’s ending, the film will surely have audiences itching to find another movie that can fill the same hole.

10

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

Directed By Doug Liman

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

PG-13

Action

Comedy

Documentary

Romance

Thriller

Release Date

June 7, 2005

Runtime

120 minutes

Cast

  • Headshot Of Brad Pitt In The Babylon Premiere

    Brad Pitt

  • instar53635214-1

    Angelina Jolie

  • Headshot Of Vince Vaughn In The Los Angeles Season 12 premiere of HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'

    Vince Vaughn

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    Adam Brody​

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Best known as the first collaboration between Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Mr & Mrs Smith is an underrated entry in the espionage genre that tells the story of a married spy couple whose new top-secret mission requires them to kill each other. Much like Black Bag, it’s a film about the blurred line between love and duty, examining how far these individuals will bend their moral compasses to protect the people they love. It’s a much more comedic outing than Black Bag, but it deals with many of the same themes in an equally slick and absorbing way.

Black_Bag_Michael_Fassbender__Cate_Blanchett

Related

Black Bag’s Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett & Cast On Steven Soderbergh’s Complicated, Sexy Thriller: “They’ve All Got Baggage”

ScreenRant interviews Black Bag stars Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Marisa Abela, Regé-Jean Page, and Naomie Harris about the spy thriller.

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9

The Killer (2023)

Directed By David Fincher

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The Killer

R

Action

Adventure

Crime

ScreenRant logo

8/10

7.3/10

Release Date

November 10, 2023

Runtime

118 Minutes

Cast

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    Michael Fassbender

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    Tilda Swinton

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The Killer is rarely considered among David Fincher’s best movies, but it’s still an excellent thriller that perfectly examines the cold and calculated behaviors that are needed to be a killer. The film boasts an excellent performance from Michael Fassbender, who brings much of the same enigmatic stoicism to his character in Black Bag – both are figures who must put their emotions aside to ensure perfect results in their work, though Fincher’s protagonist is much less likable than Soderbergh’s. The film features some excellent cinematography, creative visual choices, and a brilliant soundtrack.

8

No Sudden Move (2021)

Directed By Steven Soderbergh

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No Sudden Move

R

Crime

Thriller

Drama

ScreenRant logo

7/10

Release Date

July 1, 2021

Runtime

115 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Noah Jupe In The

    Noah Jupe

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Craig muMs Grant

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No Sudden Move almost feels like Soderbergh’s trial run for Black Bag; the film is a sharp, stylish thriller that uses its ensemble cast and witty dialogue to place the audience directly into this criminal endeavor and figure out the mystery at the center. It’s a very tight and fast-paced story that begs the audience’s attention at every turn, taking the viewer through a complex web of crime and conspiracy that centers around one man’s decision to steal from his employers to protect his family.

7

Sicario (2015)

Directed By Denis Villeneuve

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Sicario

R

Action

Crime

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

9/10

37

9/10

Release Date

September 17, 2015

Runtime

122 minutes

Cast

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Denis Villeneuve’s breakthrough feature may not be as epic as something like Dune, nor as groundbreaking as films like Arrival, but it opts instead for a more naturalistic approach that immerses the audience in a very specific narrative. The story focuses on Emily Blunt’s ambitious FBI Agent as she attempts to bring down a criminal empire operating on the southern border of the USA. Sicario has a fantastic ending that forces the audience to contemplate the real-world implications of the story they’ve just watched, asking important questions about crime and national security – just like Black Bag.

6

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Directed By Tomas Alfredson

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

R

Thriller

Historical

8/10

Release Date

September 16, 2011

Runtime

127 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Gary Oldman In The 77th Cannes Film Festival

    Gary Oldman

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    Benedict Cumberbatch

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is based on John le Carre’s high-stakes crime novel of the same name, which explores the attempts of one retired British spy to uncover an undercover agent within their ranks. It has much of the same “whodunnit” atmosphere that makes Black Bag such an engaging watch, inviting the audience to figure out which of the film’s characters is harboring secrets alongside Gary Oldman’s protagonist. Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan’s screenplay does an excellent job of revealing just enough information to keep the film exciting without ever making the answer too obvious.

5

Bridge Of Spies (2015)

Directed By Steven Spielberg

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Bridge of Spies

PG-13

Thriller

Documentary

Drama

ScreenRant logo

5/10

7/10

Release Date

October 16, 2015

Runtime

142 Minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Alan Alda

    Alan Alda

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    Mark Rylance

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Of all Spielberg’s films made in the 21st century, Bridge of Spies certainly feels the most familiar to the filmmaker’s classical style. Adapted from Giles Whittell’s acclaimed book of the same name, Bridge of Spies is set during the Cold War and tells the turbulent story of an American lawyer who is called upon to exchange a Russian prisoner with KGB soldiers in their home territory. It’s a very tense and unpredictable story that’s filled with twists from start to finish, with Tom Hanks’ lead performance holding everything together in ways that only Hanks can do.

4

Rope (1948)

Directed By Alfred Hitchcock

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Rope

PG

Thriller

Crime

Drama

7/10

Release Date

August 26, 1948

Runtime

81 minutes

Cast

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    James Stewart

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    John Dall

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It’s difficult to compare any film to Black Bag without first mentioning Alfred Hitchcock, whose works were seemingly an enormous influence on Steven Soderberg’s latest project. The recent thriller has much of the same tight, compact storytelling and richly developed characters that made Hitchcock’s works so enjoyable, and 1948’s Rope may be the finest example. The film takes place moments after two friends have killed a man and hidden his body in their home, following them as they attempt to protect their secret during an unpredictable dinner party with friends.

3

The Conversation (1974)

Directed By Francis Ford Coppola

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The Conversation

PG

Drama

Crime

Documentary

Mystery

Thriller

Release Date

April 7, 1974

Runtime

113 minutes

Cast

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  • HeaDSHOT oF Gene Hackman

    Gene Hackman

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    John Cazale

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Allen Garfield

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Frederic Forrest

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The Conversation is one of the most inventive and groundbreaking stories in Francis Ford Coppola’s filmography, telling the story of a mundane surveillance agent who is assigned a case that quickly takes a dark turn. When he accidentally stumbles into a murder conspiracy, Gene Hackman’s Harry Caul must weigh up his loyalties to his profession with his burning moral compass, knowing he can prevent needless bloodshed. The film deals with many of the same moral dilemmas as Black Bag, weaving them together with a complex character arc that makes The Conversation one of Francis Ford Coppola’s best movies.

2

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Directed By Steven Soderbergh

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Ocean’s Eleven

PG-13

Thriller

Crime

ScreenRant logo

8/10

8.2/10

Release Date

December 7, 2001

Runtime

116 minutes

Cast

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    Brad Pitt

  • Headshot Of Don Cheadle In The 79th Venice Film Festival

    Don Cheadle

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Ocean’s Eleven is the film that really transformed Soderbergh into a household name in the film business, turning what easily could’ve been a darkly familiar thriller into something completely unpredictable and relentlessly entertaining. The film constantly keeps the audience at a distance, using the charming characters to distract them from the details of the plot, just to make those huge third-act reveals even more effective. It’s the golden standard of the “show don’t tell” rule of filmmaking, and that’s something that Soderbergh has carried forward into the rest of his career before (and including) Black Bag.

1

Casino Royale (2006)

Directed By Martin Campbell

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Casino Royale

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Crime

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

8/10

48

8.6/10

Release Date

November 14, 2006

Runtime

144 minutes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Daniel Craig

    Daniel Craig

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    Eva Green

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James Bond is likely the first name that comes to mind when considering fictional spies in cinema, and for good reason. Bond is a perfect example of how to make a timeless hero that audiences can relate to, and this has never been stronger than in Casino Royale. Martin Campbell’s soft reboot of the Bond franchise introduces Daniel Craig as immediately one of the best actors to play James Bond, and this story is filled with shocking moments that remind viewers exactly what kind of storytelling tricks are possible when the audience is constantly one step behind.

I Think I Need Multiple Viewings Of Black Bag To The Plot

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I Think I Need Multiple Viewings Of Black Bag To Fully Understand The Plot After That Ending

Those seeing Black Bag in theaters won’t want to miss a single second of Steven Soderbergh & David Koepp’s whip-smart and sharply paced spy thriller.

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Black Bag is clearly inspired by spy movies like Casino Royale, with Fassbender’s charmingly cold lead performance even paying homage to stoic heroes like James Bond at times. The overarching narratives of global terrorism and international conflict are also strikingly similar, and both projects even have the seductive romance to hold everything together. Casino Royale is slightly more action-packed than dialogue-driven films like Black Bag, but the latter certainly feels like it owes something to the former.

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Black Bag

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

8/10

12

7.8/10

Release Date

March 14, 2025

Director

Steven Soderbergh

Writers

David Koepp

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Cate Blanchett In The Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture Fall/Winter

    Cate Blanchett

  • Headshot Of Michael Fassbender In The UK premiere of 'Kneecap'

    Michael Fassbender

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