The Secret Agent

Play trailer

1:44

The Secret Agent

R

Now Playing

2h 41m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

History

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

165 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

250+ Verified Ratings

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting. Winner of Best Director and Best Actor in Cannes.

Now in Theaters

Now Playing

Buy Tickets

Critics Consensus

A thematically rich and visually arresting political thriller, The Secret Agent blends grindhouse stylization with biting social commentary to weave a vividly dangerous yet darkly human tale.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Says

A thought-provoking political thriller that deliberately revisits a defining moment in Brazilian history, The Secret Agent is further cemented in the cinematic zeitgeist by Wagner Moura’s standout performance.

Read Audience Reviews

Wenlei Ma

The Nightly (AU)

6d

4/5

As a thriller, The Secret Agent is exciting and entertaining, an evocative piece of art that’s wholly lived in, plunging you into a messy and tense environment of political repression and fear.

Go to Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Jan 21

4/5

There’s plenty of suspense here, but also a strong strain of gallows humour running through the serpentine storyline as if to pay tribute to the benefits of absurdism as a survival strategy, and Mendonça Filho has done a great job evoking the 1970s.

Go to Full Review

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Dec 31

It's really strong, but it's that thriller element that pushes it over the top.

Go to Full Review

Kristian M. Lin

Fort Worth Weekly

3d

A bold, likable, and carefully considered piece of work from one of Brazil’s best filmmakers, with a moving and low-key portrait of an everyday hero at its center.

Go to Full Review

Jane Freebury

Jane Freebury

5d

5/5

A fine immersive and expansive political thriller, with a lead actor and director at the top of their game, that is a tribute to those 'disappeared' during the 1970s Brazilian dictatorship for activities deemed counter to its interests

Go to Full Review

Peter Gray

The AU Review

Jan 26

4.5/5

The Secret Agent stands as one of the year’s most vital films: a work that pulses with anger, empathy and cinematic ambition, insisting that the past is never past, and that looking away is not an option.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

JoJo Beats

20h

The music was great. Costume and set design amazing. The movie itself was highly disappointing. I would not recommend it and I am really struggling to see how it nabbed a best picture nomination. Too long. No character or story development. If I had taken a nap during it, it wouldnt have mattered. Save your time and money.

See more

David R

22h

Im not really sure what happened during this movie. liked Wagner Moura, and some of the rest of the cast was great, but the disembodied leg?

See more

Heidi

1d

Wonderful, cinematography, excellent casting and intriguing story

See more

Fandango Customer C

1d

30 min too long but great film

See more

John

2d

This movie requires the viewer to stay engaged, no passive moments allowed. It will take time to understand exactly what is going on, but hang in there, it is all worth the wait. Also stay for at least the beginning credits. Enjoy!

See more

Ligia

5d

It’s a very delicate movie. You must pay attention to the details. It could be shorter than 2h38min.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Kleber Mendonça Filho

Director

Wagner Moura

Marcelo Alves

Sebastiana de Medeiros

Dona Sebastiana

Udo Kier

Hans

Gabriel Leone

Bobbi

Maria Fernanda Cândido

Elza

Awards Leaderboard: Best Movies of 2025

One Battle After Another Takes Best Film at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards

The Secret Agent: Trailer 1

1:44

The Secret Agent: Teaser Trailer

1:10

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting. Winner of Best Director and Best Actor in Cannes.

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Producer: Emilie Lesclaux, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Wagner Moura, Brent Travers
Screenwriter: Kleber Mendonça Filho
Distributor: NEON
Production Co: CinemaScópio Produções, Arte France Cinema, Black Rabbit Media, MK2 Films, Vitrine Filmes
Rating: R (Some Full Nudity|Sexual Content|Language|Strong Bloody Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller, History
Original Language: Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 26, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.9M
Runtime: 2h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

Most Popular at Home Now