Review: “The Secret Agent” is a thrilling exploration of casual corruption

By Jesse Illanes, Valley Life Editor

(Cinemascopio Producoes -- IMDB)

The Oscar buzz surrounding The Secret Agent should come as no surprise, as the film features a thrilling political story involving corruption and a man who is trying to save his son. The performances also stand out in this feature as Wagner Moura is nominated for best actor.

The film – which has garnered four Oscar nominations including best picture, best casting and est international feature film – is told entirely in Portuguese which adds to it being an immersive and powerful tale.

“Marcelo” (Wagner Moura) is introduced as a man going into hiding while trying to fix his relationship with his young son, who is living with his late wife’s parents. He is given an office job, in charge of creating ID cards, from a man who is part of a network of self-called “refugees” of whom are living in the same apartment as Marcelo, attempting to escape the regime.

On the other hand, a corrupt police chief named Euclides (Robério Diógenes), investigates a call with his two sons, where a biologist at a university finds a severed human leg inside a shark while dissecting it, leading Euclides to “dispose” of the evidence and the people who found the leg.Above all of this, it’s revealed that a man with some kind of government position hires hitmen to assassinate a man named “Armando,” whose is pictured to be Marcelo, as “Marcelo” is an alias. Slowly throughout the film more corruption is shown, revealing why Armando is in hiding.

The film’s director, Kleber Mendonça Filho, being a former journalist, his influence is clearly demonstrated as the newspaper is a prevalent point of discussion with the characters, with the police chief mentioning how the news is ruining their goals of hiding the truth from the masses. Also, the storytelling is delivered in a very journalistic manner, as the moving pieces of this story are fully fleshed out and carefully give new revelations with proper pacing, leaving the audience at the edge of their seats.

Throughout the film, there are hints of college students in current times researching Armando’s incident. These moments are mysterious at first because the film cuts from 1970s Brazil, to two students with laptops listening to tape recordings, but pays off immensely in the ending. The ending was questionable but admirably ties the story together, encapsulating the investigative nature of the neo-noir aesthetic, while also keeping the idea of active journalism in effect.

Moura as Armando plays a phenomenal role as his calm exterior is a facade for his anxiety pertaining to why he is in hiding, fearing his life and wanting a better future for his son. When serious altercations are introduced to Armando, he is usually not surprised of what the local police and government are trying to cover up.

He has his soft moments too, especially when he meets the “refugees” in the apartment he lives in such as Doña Sebastiana (Tânia Maria), who perfectly portrays a warm Latina grandmother who is never afraid to speak her mind about the corrupt government.

The rest of the cast is amazing in their own ways too: as Robério Diógenes as the Police chief Euclides immaculately is complacent with being complicit in this conspiracy, likewise with the eventual hitmen and person who hired them, making the audience root for Armando to escape their clutches.

The Secret Agent is a film that imprints itself on your memory. Its neo-noir atmosphere, paired with the expertly crafted crime story, makes it one of the best films in recent years. With the 2026 Oscars approaching, the film’s four nominations, including the debut of the best casting award, recognize the importance of provocative stories in languages other than English.