The Secret Agent Review: I’ll be honest upfront: The Secret Agent is not an easy watch. It’s long. It’s dense. It’s deliberately confusing in places. And if you go in expecting a slick spy thriller, something Bond-adjacent, you’re going to hate it. I almost did.
My first viewing was a mess. Bad timing, distractions, and frankly, the wrong mindset. I finished it thinking, “Okay… I get why critics like this, but I don’t feel it.” That nagged at me. This didn’t feel like a movie that deserved a shrug.
So I went back. Phone in another room. Lights off. Two hours and forty minutes of full focus. That’s when The Secret Agent revealed itself.
My Rating: 4.0/5
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Movie Title | The Secret Agent |
| Original Title | O Agente Secreto |
| Release Year | 2025 |
| Director | Kleber Mendonça Filho |
| Lead Actor | Wagner Moura |
| Supporting Cast | Tânia Maria, Udo Kier |
| Genre | Political Drama / Crime / Thriller |
| Runtime | 2 hours 40 minutes |
| Language | Portuguese |
A Slow Burn That Refuses to Hold Your Hand
Set in 1977 Brazil during a military dictatorship, the film follows Armando, a former professor played by Wagner Moura, who has become a target of the regime. He changes identities. He disappears. He tries to survive quietly with his young son.
But this isn’t a “run-from-the-government” thriller in the traditional sense. The movie doesn’t rush. It circles its ideas. It jumps around in time. It withholds information. Sometimes it flat-out dares you to keep up.
There were moments, even on the second watch, where I thought, “Wait… why is this happening now?” And that’s intentional. This film doesn’t care if you’re comfortable. It cares if you’re paying attention. Look away for five minutes, and you’re lost.
Wagner Moura Gives One of the Year’s Best Performances
The entire movie lives or dies on Moura’s shoulders, and thankfully, he’s phenomenal.
This isn’t a loud, showy performance. He’s not crying in every scene or delivering big Oscar monologues. Instead, he plays Armando with restraint. Fear sits behind his eyes. Rage simmers but rarely spills over. You watch him think. You watch him calculate.
There are physical transformations throughout the film, different identities, different versions of the same man, and Moura inhabits each one effortlessly. By the end, you don’t just understand Armando. You feel the weight he’s carrying.
Without Moura, this movie collapses. With him, it holds together despite its ambition and sprawl. If this performance gets an Oscar nomination, it’ll be deserved. If it wins critics’ awards? I get it now.
Direction That’s Confident—and Sometimes Intentionally Frustrating
Director Kleber Mendonça Filho clearly isn’t interested in making something neat or predictable. The filmmaking is bold. The editing jumps around. The camera lingers. The sound design quietly builds dread.
Brazil in the late ’70s feels real, dusty streets, harsh sunlight, institutional rot baked into everyday life. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s suffocating. That said, not everything lands.
There are surreal moments, especially one involving a disembodied leg, that left me staring at the screen thinking, “What am I supposed to do with this?” There’s symbolism involving sharks, cinema, violence, and cultural numbness that I’m still unpacking.
And honestly? Some of it may never fully click for me.
A Film That’s Brilliant… and Still Imperfect
I admire The Secret Agent more than I love it. That’s the most honest way I can put it.
It’s too long. About 20 minutes could be trimmed without losing its soul. There are too many characters, and not all of them feel essential. By the end, I understood most of it, but not all of it.
And yet, I can’t stop thinking about it. That’s the mark of a real movie.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Movies of 2025 – My Top 10 Picks
The Good & Bad In The Secret Agent
| What Works | What Holds It Back |
|---|---|
| Wagner Moura’s controlled, deeply human performance | Runtime feels heavier than necessary |
| Authentic, immersive depiction of 1970s Brazil | Overcrowded narrative with too many characters |
| Confident direction that refuses easy answers | Symbolism that sometimes feels opaque |
| Strong supporting performances, especially Tânia Maria | Not emotionally accessible for casual viewers |
| A story that rewards patience and repeat viewings | Demands total focus—no room for distraction |
Final Thoughts: Who This The Secret Agent Movie Is (and Isn’t) For
If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller, skip this. If you half-watch movies while scrolling your phone, skip this. But if you like films that challenge you, movies that don’t explain themselves, performances that grow on you, stories that linger, The Secret Agent is worth your time.
It’s not perfect. It’s not comfortable. And it’s definitely not for everyone. But it’s one of the most ambitious, thoughtful films of the year.
Rating: 4.0/5. And yeah… Wagner Moura deserves every bit of the awards attention he’s getting.