I was pretty excited to check out a new Brazilian film releasing here in the States, and that film is called The Secret Agent, written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. It stars Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco,Tânia Maria, and more. Earlier this year I had a huge wave of Brazilian films hit my channel, and some of those videos did incredibly well, so seeing a new project starring Wagner Moura definitely got my attention. I had just recently watched Elite Squad for the first time, so this felt like perfect timing.
The film is set in 1977 Brazil, during the military dictatorship. Technology expert Marcelo, played by Wagner Moura, returns to Recife during Carnival, hoping to find refuge. Instead, he becomes caught in political violence, undercover identity games, and terrifying corruption. He shelters with political refugees and becomes a target for both state forces and hired assassins. The film blends neo noir mystery, archival style storytelling, and haunting surreal moments, all while placing you right in the nerve center of repression.
I enjoyed The Secret Agent. I did not love it, and I wanted to enjoy it a little more than I ultimately did, but it is a solid piece of filmmaking with a compelling story and great performances. One thing I always praise about Brazilian cinema is how realistic the performances feel, especially in films dealing with corruption and darker subject matter. The cinematography here matches that tone. The film is often claustrophobic, gritty, and shadowed, with strong contrast and a visual style that reflects how tense the world around these characters is.
Wagner Moura is fantastic at the center of the film. I have enjoyed him in American productions, but watching him in more Portuguese-heavy Brazilian films has been a real highlight for me this year. He brings a grounded, worn down humanity to this character who is trying to protect his son and escape the danger closing in on them. The supporting cast is strong across the board, and the film often feels like you are watching real moments unfold. That sense of realism is something Brazilian filmmakers do incredibly well.
The film jumps across different time periods. Most of the story takes place in 1977, but we also see glimpses into the past and into the future, where another character investigates what happened through articles and archived audio recordings. It is not based on a specific true story, but from everything I read, it pulls heavily from real corruption and political violence that took place during the dictatorship. Having now seen several films about that era, it is clear how painful and chaotic that time was in Brazil’s history, and I appreciate that filmmakers continue to tackle it in thoughtful ways.
Where the film stumbles for me is in its pacing. It is two hours and forty minutes long, and the runtime is definitely felt. The story is packed with characters, subplots, and long sequences that do not always feel essential. I do not think it needed to be cut down to under two hours, but there are stretches that slow the film down to a crawl, and moments that feel like padding more than purposeful additions. The film can be incredibly gripping, but then it pulls back into slower pacing that interrupts the momentum.
The finale is also a bit frustrating. Things start escalating and becoming more intense, and I was really locked in, but then the film stops abruptly to jump into the future and wrap things up through an epilogue. It undercuts some of the tension that had just been built, and felt like an odd shift right when things were getting most exciting.
All that said, I still enjoyed the film. It has strong performances, a compelling story, and a look and feel that captures the intensity of that era. The pacing holds it back from being great, but it is still a good film that I am glad I saw. I do not see myself revisiting it anytime soon, but I appreciate what it was aiming for and I appreciate the way it portrays that difficult time in Brazil’s history.
Whether you are in the States waiting for its release or you saw it earlier during its run in Brazil, I am definitely curious to hear what people think about this one.
Rating: 7/10