“Black Bag” is a nifty spy thriller.

Think “The Bourne,” “Mission Impossible” and “James Bond” movie franchises.

The term “black bag” is not a reference to a Chanel, Fendi, or Saint Laurent fashion accessory. Black bag, in spy terminology, refers to a covert operation, as in a secret mission by a government agency.

The premise of “Black Bag” is similar to that of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (2005), starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as married secret agents.

“Black Bag” stars and Michael Fassbender (George Woodhouse) and Cate Blanchett (Kathryn St. Jean, his wife) as married British intelligence officers. George must determine who leaked a software program named Severus that could blow up a nuclear power plan. The list of suspects includes his wife.

“Black Bag” is set apart from high-concept spy thrillers. There are no high-speed vehicular chase scenes, hand-to-hand combat, and firearms death toll.

Instead, the film concentrates on a chess-game plot that challenges the intellect.

The movie includes lots of chicanery. The film-makers are one step ahead of the movie-goer. The actors are uniformly excellent and keep the potboiler churning.

Director Steven Soderbergh (Oscar nominee, screenplay: “Sex, Lies and Videotape,” 1990; Oscar nominee, director: “Erin Brockovich,” 2001; Oscar recipient, director: “Traffic,” 2001) works from a screenplay by David Koepp (screenwriter: “Spider-Man,” 2002; “Panic Room,” 2002; “Jurassic Park,” 1993; “Mission: Impossible,” 1996).

Soderbergh directs in a smart style, emphasizing the guilty-pleasure of eves-dropping on a spy network.

Koepp’s screenplay is efficient, with clipped dialogue that masks a backdrop of knowledge and familiarity of the characters.

“Black Bag” is aided by the gauzy and backlit cinematography of director of photography Soderbergh, who uses the nom du cinema of Peter Andrews.

The editing by Soderbergh, using another pseudonym, that of Mary Ann Bernard, is swift and tenacious.

The production design by Philip Messina is of slick, glass-dominated offices and buildings and the swanky interior of the married spy couples London townhouse.

The soundtrack by David Holmes is angular and eclectic.

Front and center in “Black Bag” is an Oscar-nominee worthy performance by Michael Fassbender.

If the search is still on for the next James Bond, producers need look no further than Fassbender (Oscar nominee, actor, “Steve Jobs,” 2016; Oscar nominee, supporting actor, “12 Years A Slave,” 2014).

The minimalist acting style of Fassbender, with clenched jaw, passive face and steely eyes peering through Clark Kent style large frame glasses, serves well the spy role.

Blanchett (Oscar nominee, actress, “Tar,” 2023; “Carol,” 2016, and supporting actress, “I’m Not There,” 2008; Oscar recipient, actress, “Blue Jasmine,” 2014) is sleek, smooth and self-involved as Mrs. Spy.

Notable in supporting roles include: Marisa Abela (Clarissa), Tom Burke (Freddie), Naomie Harris (Zoe), Regé-Jean Page (Stokes), Gustaf Skarsgård (Meacham) and Pierce Brosnan (spectacular as Stieglitz).

If you’re a fan of director Steven Soderbergh, Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Pierce Brosnan and motion picture spy thrillers, get your “Black Bag.”

“Black Bag,” MPAA Rated R (Restricted: Persons under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult guardian) for language including some sexual references, and some violence; Genre: Spy Thriller; Run time: 1 hour, 35 minutes. Distributed by Focus Features.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Black Bag” was filmed in Zurich, Switzerland, and London, England, from May through July 2024. The soundtrack includes “Compared To What” by the late Roberta Flack and “To Love” by Suki Waterhouse.

At The Movies: “Black Bag” was seen in the standard format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office, March 28-30: Jason Statham, humming his own “Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho” starring in the action-thriller, “A Working Man,” an action-thriller, opened at No. 1 with $15.2 million in 3,262 theaters, stopping “Snow White” at No. 1 for one week dropping one place to No. 2 with $14.2 million in 4,200 theaters, $66.8 million, two weeks.

3. “The Chosen: Last Supper,” $11.4 million in 2,478 theaters, opening. 4.”The Woman in the Yard,” $9.4 million in 2,842 theaters, opening. 5. “Death of a Unicorn,” $5.7 million in 3,050 theaters, opening. 6. “Princess Mononoke 4K Restoration,” $4 million in 330 theaters, opening. 7. “Captain America: Brave New World” dropped four places, $2.8 million in 2,380 theaters, $196.5 million, seven weeks. 8. “Black Bag” dropped six places, $2.1 million in 2,065 theaters, $18.7 million, three weeks. 9. “Mickey 17” dropped four places, with $1.9 million in 1,648 theaters, $43.5 million, four weeks. 10. “Novocaine” dropped six places, with $1.4 million in 2,273 theaters, $18.7 million, three weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of March 30 is subject to change.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office, March 21-23: “Snow White” opened at No. 1 with $42.2 million in 4,200 theaters.

2. “Black Bag” stayed at No. 2 with $4.2 million in 2,713 theaters, $14.7 million, two weeks. 3. “Captain America: Brave New World” moved up one place, $4 million in 2,900 theaters, $192 million, six weeks. 4. “Novocaine” dropped three places from its one-week at No. 1 with $3.6 million in 3,369 theaters, $15.6 million, two weeks. 5. “Mickey 17” dropped two places, with $3.6 million in 2,584 theaters, $40 million, three weeks. 6. “The Alto Knights,” starring Robert De Niro in a dual role as Italian-American mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, $3.1 million in 2,651 theaters, opening. 7. “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,” $1.8 million in 2,703 theaters, $6.5 million, two weeks. 8. “The Monkey” moved up one place, $1.5 million in 1,452 theaters, $37.8 million, five weeks. 9. “Dog Man” dropped one place, $1.4 million in 1,766 theaters, $95.6 million, eight weeks. 10. “The Last Supper” dropped four places, $1.3 million in 1,575 theaters, $5.3 million, two weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of March 23 is subject to change.

Unreel, March 28:

“Death of a Unicorn,” R: Alex Scharfman directs Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Tea Leoni and Richard E. Grant in the Comedy Fantasy Horror film. A father and daughter hit a unicorn with their vehicle and bring the unicorn to a hideout of a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO.

“A Working Man,” R: David Ayer directs Jason Statham, David Harbour and Michael Pena in the Action Thriller. Levon Cade, a counter-terrorism expert, comes out of retirement to find a girl who has disappeared.

“The Friend,” R: Scott McGehee and David Siegel direct Bill Murray and Naomi Watts in the drama. A writer adopts a Great Dane that belonged to his mentor who has died.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes