Fair warning before we get started—this Reel Report contains slight spoilers. Go see “The Secret Agent,” if you haven’t already!
If you’re reading this, you’re probably acutely aware that the 96th annual Academy Awards are rapidly approaching, getting closer and closer with each passing day. So, like I inevitably end up doing every late February and March, I’m doing my rounds to get around to the nominated films I haven’t seen yet.
“The Secret Agent” is a Brazilian film from seasoned director Kleber Mendonça Filho. It first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2025 to critical acclaim, and has since been nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best International Film, and Best Actor. Starring Wagner Moura, who also produced the film, “The Secret Agent” tells a story of a man in hiding, running from powerful forces who would happily see him erased from their list of problems, by any means necessary.
Moura’s character and the film’s protagonist, Armando Solimões, is the heart and soul of this film. He is a father and widower, doing his best to try and get himself and his son to safety. His struggles feel real and present, even if their intensity and cause is revealed to the audience slowly as the film progresses. Not to reference “Shrek,” but this film is very akin to an onion, in the way the narrative is layered. The audience only ever sees one layer at a time, and as the film continues, those layers slowly start to get peeled back.
The film unravels slowly. While this makes for a first half that does tend to drag its feet, by the time the runtime hits the midpoint, Filho really begins to turn up the heat. It’s a slow crescendo, and one that takes its sweet time getting to the climax, but the payoff is worth it. The final 30 minutes are a mad dash to the finish line, and without all of that intricate buildup, the final moments of the film would fail to be nearly as impactful. Filho really takes the time to furnish his film with side characters who feel like real, tangible people. Solimões is surrounded by people who are, in many ways, just like him. They have all found themselves at a similar point in their lives, each fleeing to or from something—but they also succeed in providing necessary contrast to his story.
While some of the others Solimões encounters are running from international threats, his own danger is nearer than any of them can imagine. He is constantly at risk, and the people who would threaten him and even try to kill him are, at times, merely steps away from accomplishing that goal. Additionally, while the others have partners or people near them to embark on their journey with them, Solimões is all but isolated from his son. While he always plans on finding a way to steal away from Brazil with his child, it is not safe for his son to actually live with him. He must love him from afar, doing all he can for the both of them while his child remains somewhat ignorant to the entire situation, living a peaceful life with his grandparents.
Another testament to this film is the general atmosphere. Yes, it’s a cop–out to compliment the directorial style, set design, costume design, and production design in one breath—but all of those things work so harmoniously in this film. With the majority taking place in Brazil in 1977, the film itself seems drenched in warm tones, eliciting the heat and golden nature of summer. Warm golds and buttery yellows creep into every frame, and the occasional splash of blue or even vivid red is a noticeable shift. Even the color grading signals the audience as to when something is off or out of the ordinary, and it gives the film on the whole an entirely unique style.
While I regrettably did have to watch it with English subtitles, this is one of those foreign films that really made me wish I spoke the language being spoken on screen. There is so much beauty and precision, both behind the camera and in front of it, that I would love to watch it again sometime and really focus on the picture onscreen, rather than the words on the bottom. Regardless, it was still definitely worth the watch, and it’ll be interesting to see which of its Academy Award nominations—if any—it managed to take home.
