The 355 (2022) [4K UHD review]

Modern spy thrillers often juggle big budgets, exotic locales, and ensemble casts. Think Mission: Impossible or the more comedic Kingsman series. The 355 arrives with the promise of “James Bond meets Ocean’s 8,” featuring globe-spanning missions and a strong female-led team. Directed by Simon Kinberg (known for co-writing/producing various X-Men films, plus directing Dark Phoenix), it attempts that mix of grounded espionage and showy set pieces.

The name “355” references a real-life figure: Agent 355, a female spy during the American Revolution. Jessica Chastain, who also co-produced, wanted to create a spy project that was female-led without resorting to cliches. Does it achieve that? We’ll see the complexities. The film mostly aims for fun escapism. It’s not as gritty as a Jason Bourne outing, nor as comedic as a typical buddy-cop flick. Instead, it’s a middle-ground: polished action, interpersonal drama, and just enough comedic banter to lighten the mood.

What is The 355 actually about?

The 355 is about spywork. CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) is on a mission in Colombia with her partner Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan) to retrieve a top-secret device capable of hacking global systems. A fiasco unfolds, leaving the device in the wind and Nick’s fate uncertain. Mace soon crosses paths with:

• Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o): An ex-MI6 tech genius who’d rather be away from the field.
• Marie (Diane Kruger): A hardened German BND operative with a tough exterior and personal grudges.
• Graciela (Penélope Cruz): A Colombian psychologist pulled into the chaos as the out-of-her-depth civilian.
• Lin Mi Sheng (Fan Bingbing): A mysterious Chinese agent who alternates between ally and potential foe.

The five women of The 355 must eventually unite to stop the device from landing in mercenary hands. Along the way, they jump from Paris to Morocco to Shanghai, dealing with double-crosses and a swirl of personal stakes. The story unfolds with standard spy beats: infiltration, swiped intel, questionable loyalties, big reveals about who’s truly pulling the strings.

We get a taste of each character’s background: Mace’s haunted regrets, Marie’s trust issues, Graciela’s fear for her family, Khadijah’s love-hate relationship with the spy world, and Lin Mi Sheng’s secretive motives. It’s a straightforward “assemble the team” approach, letting them clash initially before forming that found-family dynamic. The script doesn’t aim for deep nuance, but it’s breezy, letting each actress find a unique angle.

At least it’s not Dark Phoenix

Simon Kinberg cut his teeth on big-scale X-Men productions. The 355 is his second directorial effort after Dark Phoenix, a film that wasn’t widely beloved. Here, he aims for a slick, modern action aesthetic: quick editing, traveling from fancy cafes to bustling markets, spiced up with shootouts, chases, and well-choreographed brawls.

• Fight Scenes: Each actress gets at least one significant action beat. For instance, Marie’s chase through city streets is a highlight, harnessing Kruger’s physical stunt work. Mace pairs off in shootouts, while Khadijah’s sequences rely more on infiltration and tech-savvy interplay.
• Gunplay vs. Hand-to-Hand: The film toggles between tactical gunfights and close-quarters takedowns. The latter let the cast show off. They’re not quite John Wick-level or gritty spy realism, but they’re dynamic enough to keep pulses up.
• Pacing: The script leaps from mission to mission, rarely dwelling on slow exposition. The result is an energetic vibe that aligns with popcorn action fare. Occasionally, the editing can be choppy in big fights, a standard modern complaint. Yet, there’s clarity enough to track who’s punching or shooting whom.

Kinberg’s direction ensures a polished look but doesn’t revolutionize spy action. If you’ve watched any Mission: Impossible or Bond, you’ll feel in familiar territory. A highlight is a chaotic multi-character fight in a Moroccan bazaar. The environment’s color and layout lend energy, plus comedic beats as the ladies coordinate on the fly. Overall, the direction is confident, if not visionary. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a mainstream espionage piece.

Just tell me what I want to know about The 355

The 355 is no game-changer. The story runs on old spy cliches, the big twist is guessable, and the MacGuffin’s stakes feel routine. However, the film’s saving grace is the ensemble. Watching Chastain, Nyong’o, Cruz, Kruger, and Fan bounce off each other is a delight. They each bring comedic beats or emotional angles. The action, while not revolutionary, is competently staged, featuring a few highlight sequences. The globe-trotting locales add flavor, the pace never flags, and you get that satisfying team dynamic that “assemble the squad” movies often deliver.

Should You Own the 4K UHD? If you’re an action buff who loves polished visuals, absolutely. The HDR10+ grading and Dolby Atmos audio significantly elevate the home experience. Scenes set in vibrant markets or moody nightscapes dazzle in 4K. The bullet shots and chase scenes thunder in Atmos. Add in the robust behind-the-scenes documentary, commentary track, and featurettes, and you’ve got a disc that invests in giving fans a full package.

While The 355 might not become a timeless classic, it’s a prime candidate for an entertaining Friday night watch. You can settle in, watch these five leads chat and brawl across multiple continents, enjoy the comedic synergy, and revel in the top-notch A/V quality. In a film landscape craving star-led escapism, The 355 hits a sweet spot: easygoing, well-produced spy fluff with enough character dynamics to keep you engaged. The 4K disc captures that glossy fun in reference-grade clarity, making it an easy recommend for fans of breezy espionage and big star ensembles.

Final thoughts on The 355

The 355 might not become your all-time favorite spy thriller, but it’s enjoyable for what it is: a star-studded cast tearing through scenic locales, volleying quips, brandishing guns, and forging an unlikely team bond. Its narrative is a comfortable ride through well-worn espionage territory. The real magic is in the camaraderie—Chastain’s unwavering seriousness colliding with Nyong’o’s playful swagger, Cruz’s comedic exasperation, Kruger’s take-no-prisoners stoicism, and Fan’s poised secrecy. That interplay carries the film past recycled tropes.

On the 4K UHD side, Universal’s disc shows off the film’s cinematography in eye-popping detail, with reference-level HDR. The Dolby Atmos audio immerses you in the swirl of gunfire and foot chases. Supplement-lovers get a thorough behind-the-scenes doc, commentary, and more, revealing how the project came together. If you’re building a library of modern action flicks or simply want to watch a brand-new team of spies save the day in style, it’s a no-brainer. Slide it into your 4K player, crank the volume, and have fun.

The 355 is now available on 4K UHD at MovieZyng and other outlets

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