Directed by Simon Kinberg, the 355 features the ensemble cast of Jessica Chastain as Mace, Lupita N’ongo as Kadijah/“Dije” ,Diane Kruger as Marie Schmidt , Penelope Cruz as Graciela Rivera and Fan BingBing  as Lin Mi Sheng. All of them are espionage, or espionage adjacent operatives who get roped into an international cyber-weapon conspiracy that has them first at odds with each other and eventually working together to stop the weapon from falling into the wrong hands. The film works almost like a team-up superhero movie in this regard, with our leads on opposing ends before eventually coming together. It would be a little cliché if the acting from these characters weren’t well acted and if their dynamic wasn’t fun to see. Chastain brings a cool exterior to Mace, showing an agent who’s seemingly been in the game for so long very little phases her. The same could be said for Kruger’s  Marie, who would seem like the polar opposite to Mace being more ruthless and a loose cannon, though the film goes to length to show how the two are the same, hence their rivalry. N’ongo’s Kadija meanwhile is the logical core of the team, playing their logical anchor especially around the more stubborn Mace and Maria. The most dynamic character however is Cruz’s G , who unlike everyone else isn’t a spy, being an industry psychologist for field agents roped into this whole mess and half the time trembling in fear or pointing out how crazy everything is. She can be a little annoying as some parts of the film go on but there are moments where her reactions are legitimately amusing and even a little relatable.  However, is cruelly underutilized, essentially being saved for the third act of the film and thus offering little beyond being a well-resourced friend for the rest of the team to rely on(one who does kick a lot of ass though). The team’s overall dynamic does work, even if it’s a little archetypal and in some ways you even wish for more moments where these characters sit and discuss their backstories.

While the plot of the film isn’t too complex, it makes a good effort on selling a lot of its key parts. Starting with the actual weapon that all the conflict is based on. Unlike most films with a “weapon of mass destruction”, we actually see what it’s capable of and why it’s dangerous, even if the film constantly over-explains how cyber-weapons work. The weapon itself also has ties to at least three of the main characters, essentially creating more personal stakes for them. And in extension to that comes one of the best parts of this film, albeit one that some might not agree with. The 355 is very aware of the fact that it’s a female led spy film, and rather than necessarily try and present itself as a simple “women are the same as men” film, it goes in the different direction of showing that female spies aren’t the same as the countless male ones you’ve seen, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t just as capable, if not more capable in some cases. There’s even a line that directly references this, showing how these characters have people they consider close, be it family, lovers, or close workmates and friends. One could argue that this is cliché’ and tries to portray these women as defined by the relationships in their life but the movie makes it clear that they are their own people beyond that, some of them are just emotionally healthy enough to grow beyond “the mission” and “the job”. With a movie title named after a fallen unknown female soldier, it makes it clear that this movie isn’t subtle about the statements it wants to make. What sets it apart however is it nails a solid movie regardless of it’s political statements , while making you think about them as well.

Another aspect that the 355 actually nails is the spy aspect of a spy movie. There’s a set piece in the middle of the film that’s relatable to anyone who’s ever been pickpocketed at Mbare Msika while showing the proficiency of each character and their field of expertise. Even the straight up action scenes have a very brutal and kinetic feel to them, especially the gun fights. There’s a gritty feel to them that with the right sound setting makes bullets seem like they are flying past you (this is the part where we tell you to watch this in a cinema). Add in the multiple agencies competing with each other and you have something that borrows well from films like Mission: Impossible. The only flaw here may be that a huge part of the movie’s biggest twists are quite predictable, something that franchises like MI at least tried to dodge in their best movies. There’s also the plot point of highlighting how government intelligence agencies are corrupt and yet the movie never actually sees it’s main cast aim to resolve this, by the end , focusing more on the main weapon which is in many ways a personal threat. It’s not necessarily the biggest fault of the film, but it does seem to rob it of a greater meaning or scope beyond its immediate conflict.

Besides that little tidbit however, The 355 is a competent and confident film that nails what it aims to do best: deliver an entertaining and competent spy flick that aims to tell a slightly different story from it’s peers. It doesn’t always land some concepts, but it definitely nails being engaging , enjoyable and a worthwhile watch especially if you already like spy flicks.

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