If you were put in a horrible situation where you had to choose between protecting your spouse or your country, what would you choose? The answer might not come as easily as one would suspect, something that Black Bag proves. 

Michael Fassbender stars as George Woodhouse, an intelligence agent who is the best in the business when it comes to detecting lies. When his wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett), is put on the short list of suspected traitors to their country, he finds himself between a rock and a hard place. 

As the story unfolds, audiences themselves will start to wonder who to believe and what exactly is happening. Corruption and conspiracies are almost always swirling around when it comes to government officials, something that adds a lot of suspense and excitement to this film. 

Admittedly, Black Bag starts off pretty slow. That said, this feels like a conscious decision because once things start to pick up speed in the third act, this film hits the ground running and never stops. Reveal after reveal are thrown at viewers in a way that will make their heads spin with excitement. 

To say that the ending is satisfying after spending so long trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together is an understatement. Sometimes spy thrillers like this are painfully obvious and predictable, but not Black Bag. 

Part of the reason this film works as well as it does is because of the incredible cast. Fassbender and Blanchett are electric together. Their love is a subtle one, especially due to the nature of the suspicions being thrown around, but they shine on screen when given the chance. 

Their supporting cast do a wonderful job of adding to the tension that is necessary to keep viewers on their toes. Regé-Jean Page plays Col. James Stokes brilliantly. Marisa Abela brings the sass and humor as Clarissa Dubose. Tom Burke is Freddie Smalls, one of those characters you will love to hate and who will grow on you the longer the movie goes on. And perfectly rounding out the cast is Naomie Harris as Dr. Zoe Vaughan, someone who is sure to surprise you.

Taking place over the course of a week, Woodhouse’s hunt for the traitor bounces all around, going in unexpected directions at times, always keeping things interesting. It is easy to get swept up in the plot, largely because of the side stories that pile on and make things more and more twisted. There is a lot to keep up with here, but in a good way. In a way that ensures the audience is always entertained and always thinking. 

As with most mysteries, it is nearly impossible to correctly guess the culprit. Black Bag does a great job at throwing a lot at the wall, seeing what sticks and what doesn’t, making it more difficult for viewers to put all of the pieces together. Because the ensemble cast is so great together – and offer up extremely messy storylines – your eyes will be glued to the screen. 

On top of all of that, Black Bag clocks in at just over ninety minutes. This is the right call, especially because of how slow the movie starts out. There is no need to go on any longer as there is enough time to point fingers in every direction and keep viewers on their toes before the third act culminates into what can only be described as a fulfilling climax.

Black Bag comes to theaters on March 14.