Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender unite in the new action thriller movie, Black Bag. Ahead of the movie’s arrival in theaters on March 14, the film has garnered some very high marks from critics, earning a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes with its early reviews.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Black Bag has debuted with an approval rating of 96%. This number may fluctuate as more reviews are added to the website, but debuting with such a high score is a very promising start for the film. How much this might translate into added ticket sales remains to be seen, but the good reviews should help the movie get some attention. Critics are praising Black Bag for being visually appealing as well as telling a story that’s gripping from start to finish.

“A sleek, tightly wound 90-minute spy thriller, [Black Bag is] brimming with tension and irresistibly stylish filmmaking,” The Cinematic Reel critic David Gonzalez said of the movie. “Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender’s chemistry is intoxicating as they bounce off David Koepp’s crackerjack dialogue with effortless precision.”

The Lead Stars Draw High Praise

Independent critic Clarisse Loughrey, who gave Black Bag a perfect five-star review, also noted of the lead stars, “While the supporting cast are impeccable across the board, it’s really Blanchett and Fassbender’s film to command, with performances that drip with old-school star power.”

Black Bag succeeds on its chilly wit, and on the cool, nervy appeal of its two stars.

“Black Bag succeeds on its chilly wit, and on the cool, nervy appeal of its two stars,” TIME critic Stephanie Zacharek would also opine. “Blanchett strides through the movie with lioness grace; Fassbender makes George’s robotic use of logic seem like an aphrodisiac.”

Black Bag was written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Jurassic World: Rebirth) and directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven, Magic Mike’s Last Dance). Along with Blanchett and Fassbender, the movie also stars Marisa Abela (Back to Black), Tom Burke (War & Peace), Naomie Harris (28 Days Later), Rege-Jean Page (Bridgerton), and Pierce Brosnan (Black Adam).

The movie, per the official synopsis from Focus Features, 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.”

Michael Fassbender stars as George, a spy in Black Bag

“If you’re in intelligence, you’re encouraged for security purposes to date within your department, and that comes with a whole kind of infrastructure of what you can and cannot ask your partner at any given moment. If they say the words ‘black bag,’ that’s the end of the conversation,” Burke also recently said about the film’s story, per Variety.

Black Bag will have its wide release in theaters on March 14, 2025.