The 355 is a 2022 spy action drama film directed by Simon Kinberg, with a screenplay by Theresa Rebeck and Kinberg, from a story by Rebeck.

CIA agent Mason "Mace" Brown joins forces with a rival German agent, a cutting-edge computer specialist and a Colombian psychologist when a top-secret weapon falls into the hands of a group of mercenaries. Together, the four women embark on a breakneck mission to save the world while staying one step ahead of a mysterious figure who's tracking their every move.

The cast includes Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o, Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, and Fan Bingbing, Sebastian Stan, and Édgar Ramírez. The title is derived from Agent 355, a female spy for the Patriots during the American Revolution.

The 355 released in theaters on January 7th, 2022, by Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

Once The 355 finally broke free of this never-ending pandemic, I made sure to see it on opening day. So, was it worth the wait? The answer is a bit of a mixed bag but lets first talk about what I enjoyed about this movie. When I sit down to watch a movie that is mean to be a spy thriller, I expect either an immersive and engaging storyline or non-stop action, and if I can get both, well that is the recipe for a damn good movie. Now The 355 may not prove to be the standard, but the action is aplenty. From the start we are introduced to some great characters and are treated to quite a wild ride as some of the most beautiful dangerous actresses in Hollywood fight to save the world from WWIII. Does that sound intriguing? It should.

The story is fairly simple, as it focuses on a piece of technology that could decimate the world we know landing in the wrong hands. Two of the most ruthless female agents in the business are recruited to track down this device, leaving an abundance of collateral damage in their wake. This “device”, feels very similar to the AI that is the focus of the hit series Person of Interest, as it takes advantage of our reliance on technology to cause chaos. It is made very clear from the start that a number of unsavory characters will stop at nothing to get it, leading to a thrilling sequence of events including lots of bullets and the icing of betrayal on top. All of the bad guys involved are driven by money or power, or both, and will do anything to get it.

I really liked the fact that they chose to keep the action front and center throughout the film, ensuring that it never once felt boring. You are given some time to focus on a bit of backstory for the characters, but once things get going, they don’t really stop. The 355 will without a doubt be best enjoyed in theaters where the audio element makes a massive difference. I thought the fight sequences and shootouts were intense and very well choreographed. The final big action scene at the end had my eyes glued to the screen. Bottom line, for the most part the action delivers which proves to be the beating heart for The 355.

Without question the cast is one of the biggest draws for this film. I mean, have you seen a better on-screen Hollywood power couple than Jessica Chastain and Sebastian Stan? That is a tough duo to beat, and it is just the tip of the iceberg with the casting of The 355. I remember when I first saw the trailer and thought wow, can you put together better crew of female bad asses?! I think not. Jessica Chastain has been a favorite of mine since she rocked my world with based on true events crime thriller Zero Dark Thirty, otherwise known as the film that chronicled the demise of that POS Osama Bin Laden. She has been in a ton of movies since, and has proven herself to be an A-lister. Her performance in The 355 is top-notch, and without a doubt one of the best performances in the film. She shares a great deal of screen-time with another terrific big name actor, which would be Sebastian Stan, aka The Winter Soldier. Stan and Chastain have great chemistry, and their performances are some of the primary drivers of the film as far as entertainment value.

Lupita Nyong'o is exceptional as always, and I really enjoyed her character. Penélope Cruz will surely be a fan favorite because well, she is so incredibly gorgeous and talented. She is great at playing the “fish out of water” role as she is a psychologist who is forced into the field. The other two aforementioned “female bad asses” would be Diane Kruger and Fan Bingbing. Kruger’s character evolves quite a bit, and I really enjoyed her backstory and overall intensity. Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is quickly becoming a star, and even though the majority of her screen-time is towards the end of the film, she makes her presence known. Édgar Ramírez, who also starred alongside Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty and was fantastic in the recent Disney blockbuster Jungle Cruise (full review here), has a smaller supporting role but is great as usual. I honestly can’t think of any issues I had with the cast from the leads to the smaller supporting roles.

From a technical standpoint The 355 was on point in many ways. I loved the high-energy and hard hitting soundtrack provided by Junkie XL aka Tom Holkenborg, and it blended seamlessly into the film. He has a great feel for films that rely on action scenes as he previously worked on Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Tomb Raider, and Godzilla vs. Kong, just to name a few. Bottom line, he is a talented guy and you will continue to see his name attached to blockbuster films. I was also impressed with the cinematography, taking full advantage of some amazing filming locations. The ending in particular provided some eye-popping visuals that had me completely engaged.

THE BAD

Admittedly, I had high expectations for this movie when the trailer initially dropped what feels like three years ago now, but the delays certainly tapered expectations a bit which was probably for the best. My biggest and most glaring gripe with The 355 is the writing, which in my opinion failed to take full advantage of such a talented cast. The entire premise felt a bit rudimentary, if I may use such a fancy word, and failed to offer the layers we are accustomed to when it comes to movies like Mission Impossible, or the Bourne films. I mean, we still have a few twists that did catch me by surprise, but you won’t sit back and say “wow, that was crazy!”. Now this surely is not a deal breaker for the film to the point where it is unwatchable, but it does hold it back from being great. Jessica Chastain was the driving force for getting The 355 off the ground with the hopes of starting a female-driven spy thriller franchise, but I would say that odds aren’t great as far as that actually happening.

THE VERDICT

While not quite breaking any new ground in the spy thriller genre, The 355 still packs a punch with a stellar cast and enough non-stop action to keep viewers entertained from the title screen to the end credits. I wish that more than anything that the film had more substance or that “it factor” it seemed to be lacking, but it is what it is. I still had fun with it and that is really all that matters. It isn’t nearly as bad as the majority of critics will lead you to believe, but they are justified in some of their issues as I touched on earlier in the review. I doubt this is the start of a new all-female version of the Jason Bourne films or even a new-era Mission Impossible, but it is still an enjoyable spy thriller that brings together some of the very best actresses working today.