The thing I sometimes find irksome about spy thrillers is that they don't often have much to say outside of the core mystery. Refreshingly, Black Bag thrives due to its core theme that runs through every scene, and the fact that the movie is smart enough not to overstay its welcome.
Still, I found myself so invested in the bookending dinner scenes and the lie detector scene that the rest of the movie felt a tad dull by comparison, but…
A somewhat formulaic action movie with a couple of solid gimmicks and through-lines plus Jack Quaid makes for a damn good time at the movies.
And while it isn't the point of this movie whatsoever, I can add another piece to my growing list of why sex scenes in media are so cool, actually.
Also shout out UMG for the random Chappell inclusion!!! It did not go unnoticed.
I'm gonna give Novocaine a slightly generous 8/10.
Not only is this movie as silly as I wanted it to be, it also completely succeeds at establishing tension in the weird way only Shyamalan can, includes some truly beautiful cinematography, and manages to be a very endearing story about a father watching his daughter grow up, made by a father who wrote the story in order to boost his own daughter's music career.
It certainly isn't perfect. The third act does feel a little slow, but managed to…
Every day, I come closer and closer to the Promised Land. My journey is about to pay off.
Nah but for real, this movie is actually pretty decent. I really like Ratigan, and the swap to CGI backgrounds in the final fight goes surprisingly hard.
60/100
