Don’t invite Michael Fassbender to your dinner parties.

When I first saw the trailer for "Black Bag," I thought it looked like a classier version of "Mr. + Mrs. Smith," the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie movie from 2005. In it, the two leads were a married couple who were also spies. The movie is very bad. "Black Bag, on the other hand, is very good.

Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett play George and Kathryn, two intelligence officers. When Kathryn's name appears on a list of possible traitors, George must find out if his wife truly betrayed their country.

This is less of a spy movie and more of a parlor Mistery, ala Agatha Christie. Early in the movie, George invites all the suspects to dinner. George is known for his cooking and his ability to suss out liars. It is one of the greatest dinner scenes in the history of cinema. In fact, this movie is bookended by two scenes that fit that category. These are two of the tensest scenes in a movie full of tense scenes.

Blanchett and Fasbender have incredible chemistry. George and Kathryn may be spies, but they have total devotion to one another. It is a fascinating idea for a spy film; in other movies, these two would have fights, and their jobs would be a source of friction in their marriage. George tells Kathryn she is on this list and tells her to avoid the dish he laced with a truth serum. He still investigates her, but not with the same vigor as the others.

"Black Bag" is a brilliant whodunit with some incredible performances. I had an absolute blast watching it. The twists and turns make it one of the most compelling movies I have seen this year.

9/10

Rated R for language, including some sexual references and some violence

1h 33m