The Secret Agent - Review
- Jack Aling
- Oct 15, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
A Period of Great Mischief.
Review written by Jack Aling
The Secret Agent is directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and written by Kleber Mendonça Filho.
In the final years of Brazil's military dictatorship, a widowed academic arrives in Recife during Carnival to reunite with his son, adopting a new identity among political dissidents. Won Best Director and Best Actor at Cannes 2025.
A deeply patriotic thriller, The Secret Agent's urgently paranoid pace builds the landscape of 70's Brazil so vividly that it feels like a documentary.
The themes of heritage, family and legacy fuel this tale by writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho, where the setting feels so inhabited and rich in detail to the point where surreal moments feel like an everyday occurrence. Wagner Moura brings a unique sense of calm and style to the film as he sits in the eye of the storm where the violence and corruption of a classic political thriller collide with masterful modern filmmaking.
Comments