Review: A solid if by-the-numbers spy thriller in ‘The 355’

“The 355,” directed by Simon Kinberg (“X-Men: Dark Phoenix”) who co-wrote with Theresa Rebeck (“Smash”), is not an instant classic by any means. It is, however, a straightforward and solidly entertaining spy thriller that (mostly) avoids the impulse to pat itself on the back too obviously. Well, that is until a cringey “two months later” sequence at the end that leaves the door open for a welcome sequel. But there’s enough good preceding that moment to almost excuse it and much of that has to do with its cast, which also includes Sebastian Stan, Edgar Ramírez and Bingbing Fan.

The premise isn’t groundbreaking and at times even a little predictable: There’s a microchip floating around that can access any closed system, and all the bad guys in the world want it. And there are many, many intelligence agencies trying to stop it from getting in the wrong hands. More than a few aren’t just playing for one team either. As in most every spy movie for the past 50 years, there’s talk of impending World War III, but no one is coming to this for original stakes.

And “The 355” hits all the expected beats ably, though at times it also makes you appreciate just how good a spoof Paul Fieg’s “Spy” is. Their globetrotting brings them to sleek high-rises and crowded markets, they fight in hoodies and in heels, they find an excuse for our heroines to get glammed up at a major auction (all spies deserve at least one black tie affair in the middle of all the chaos), and they even get to share a beer and a few war stories.