The ‘James Bond-lite’ spy film hailed a ‘must-watch experience’ by fans | Films | Entertainment

If you are a fan of James Bond, this film could be for you. Fans have hailed it as a “must-watch experience” and a critic compared it to the Bond movies. Black Bag was released in March this year, and it has been met with much praise from the critics. The film’s stellar lineup includes Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan.

The film’s synopsis reads: “Black Bag is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.”

Black Bag has received an impressive 96% rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Their consensus states: “Sleek in design and spiked with dry wit, Black Bag is an exemplary espionage caper that lets movie stars like Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender do what they do best – light up the screen.”

One critic likened it to James Bond, they said: “It’s astonishing to see how much tension Soderbergh infuses into Black Bag, a film that’s 98% talking and 2% violence. It’s James Bond-lite, with a needed dose of realism.”

Another added: “Along with Soderbergh’s terrific horror thriller, Presence, provided a smashing early-year one-two punch for the director and for the clever screenwriter of both, David Koepp… one of the best films of 2025 to date.”

“Smart, sophisticated spy-versus-spy nonsense makes for a perfect little cinematic contraption. Tense and tricksy, but much more deliciously, these are espionage mind games with a sexy screwball vibe,” a third added.

Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com awarded the film a perfect 4 out of 4 stars, describing it as “a smart, sexy spy vs. spy thriller fought mostly over dialogue”.

An audience reviewer said: “Went into this movie only reading the description on Prime and wow! This is quite clearly the best movie of 2025 and will likely stand the test of time, always being known as a great movie. Actual dialogue. Extremely well acted, no stupid CGI. Just a well-thought-out out intelligent story. Suspenseful Mystery-Thriller is the apt description of this movie.”

Black Bag is available to watch via purchase on Amazon Prime and YouTube.