Film

The 355

Name: The 355
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Released: 2022
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o, Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Fan Bingbing

A slick international spy thriller that assembles five female agents from different nations to stop a catastrophic weapon from falling into the wrong hands. It's a globe-trotting action film with solid set pieces, a game cast, and the kind of propulsive energy that doesn't ask you to think too hard. Ideal if you want spectacle and charm over substance.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy slick, globe-trotting espionage where the pleasure is in a tight ensemble of operatives trading competence and wary banter, the way a crisp caper plays out with more heart than its trailers suggest.

Skip it if you want a gritty, grounded spy story; this one leans glossy, with polished set pieces and a lot of hardware, and its character beats can feel more sketched than fully felt.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a little over two hours of brisk, constantly moving scenes, with little downtime between chases, double-crosses and team regrouping, so keep your attention on the plot.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Mission: Impossible - Fallout2018

Genuinely thrilling espionage action with real stakes and inventive sequences. Tom Cruise's commitment to practical stunts creates genuine tension, and the plotting rewards attention without ever becoming incomprehensible.

But It's nearly two and a half hours, and the third act can feel like it's spinning its wheels. The plot is intricate enough to demand focus, which contradicts the popcorn-fun atmosphere.

Fast X2023

A team of absurdly likeable misfits on a globe-trotting mission with spectacular action that doesn't take itself seriously. The ensemble chemistry and pure audacity of the set pieces make it enormously fun.

But The script is tissue-thin and the emotional beats ring hollow. If you need character development or a coherent narrative, you'll be frustrated.

Red Notice2021

Three charismatic leads—Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot—bouncing off each other across exotic locations. It's frothy, it's quick, and the cast clearly enjoyed making it.

But The plot is flimsy and predictable. The action isn't particularly inspired, and the jokes don't always land. It coasts on charm alone.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The 355

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Anna2019

Both center on female agents navigating morally ambiguous intelligence work, but Anna asks what the toll actually is, where The 355 celebrates the thrill. One is a mirror held up to the other.

A KGB colonel's daughter becomes a Russian intelligence officer—sharp, violent, gorgeously shot. Director Luc Besson brings visual style and moral ambiguity to the spy thriller, treating espionage as a psychologically corrosive game rather than heroic spectacle.

But It's deliberately cold and detached; there's no rooting interest or warmth. The plot becomes baroque and somewhat incoherent by the third act, prioritizing style over clarity.

Atomic Blonde2017

Charlize Theron is a revelation as a glamorous MI6 agent dispatched to Berlin during the Cold War. The fight choreography is kinetic and inventive, and there's an elegant precision to the action.

But The plot is secondary to the spectacle, and it can feel more like a music video than a cohesive story. Some will find that a feature, not a bug.

The Recruit2003

A sharp, twisty take on CIA recruitment and deception with Al Pacino and Colin Farrell. It's lean, intelligent, and the story genuinely surprises you if you're paying attention.

But It's not an action film first; the pacing is deliberate, which might feel slow after The 355. The twist divides audiences sharply.

Knight and Day2010

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz careening through a globe-trotting spy romp with a winking sense of humor. It's bright, breezy, and doesn't overstay its welcome.

But The plot is nearly nonexistent and the charm offensive can feel exhausting. It's closer to a feature-length music video than a thriller.

Spy Game2001

Robert Redford and Brad Pitt in a slick, stylish game of espionage told in clever flashback structure. The chemistry is excellent and the action sequences are genuinely inventive.

But The framing device is distracting and the film can't decide if it's sincere or ironic. Some sequences feel dated now.

xXx2002

Vin Diesel as a skateboarder recruited by the NSA—it's absurd, it's cool, and it knows exactly what it is. Pure early-2000s kinetic fun with a charismatic lead and eye-catching action.

But It's aggressively dumb. The script is thin and the character development is nonexistent. It's style over substance, entirely.

Undercovers2010

A married couple recalled from domestic bliss to spy for the CIA. It has genuine warmth, zippy dialogue, and the leads—Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw—have tremendous chemistry.

But It was cancelled after one season, so you won't get closure. The plots are forgettable and it never quite finds its identity between romance and action.

Phantom Thread2017

Both are about women operating in worlds with strict codes and invisible rules, but Phantom Thread is interested in how those rules shape desire and identity in ways The 355 never probes.

A meticulous fashion designer and a model enter an intricate dance of power and control. It's obsessively crafted, featuring a career-best Paul Thomas Anderson performance and cinematography that's almost unbearably beautiful.

But There's no plot in the conventional sense. It's slow, mannered, and emotionally icy. If you're coming for action or traditional narrative momentum, you'll be baffled within ten minutes.

The Bourne Identity2002

The 355 is a direct descendant of this film's DNA—the globe-trotting, the efficient action, the ensemble of skilled operators—but it inherited the style without the philosophical weight that made Bourne matter.

A man wakes up with no memory and is hunted by everyone. It reinvented the spy thriller by making espionage feel visceral, urgent, and morally compromised—the template every action film since has chased.

But The camera work is intentionally chaotic, which some find exhilarating and others find unwatchable. The plot is deliberately kept obscure, which can frustrate if you want clarity.